


Silence Among the Roses

by RishiDiams



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-16 01:58:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1327573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RishiDiams/pseuds/RishiDiams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A summons on the psychic paper leads the Doctor and Rose to a curious stranger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The Doctor was standing beside the console when Rose entered the control room. In hindsight, she should have known something was amiss when she managed to sneak up on him. "Doctor?"

"Rose!" he squeaked as he whirled to face her. "Good morning." He absently tapped the wallet that held his psychic paper against the palm of his other hand.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes, everything's fine. Well, I say fine. Bit of a mystery this morning."

"Oh?"

"I've received a message. A summons, if you will."

"From who?"

"That's the mystery. I don't know." He flipped open the wallet and showed Rose the psychic paper.

_I would like to see you, D._

"Yeah, that's not mysterious at all," Rose said sarcastically. She waited a beat. "So, what are we waiting for?"

His smile threatened to encompass his whole face. It was the smile he usually reserved for moments when he called her Brilliant. "Absolutely nothing." He slammed the palm of his hand down onto a button on the console and Rose noticed for the first time that coordinates had already been set.

They landed in a quiet neighborhood consisting of houses that were so identical they could have all been cut from the same mould. To Rose it looked a lot like a quiet neighborhood back home. The Doctor glanced at the psychic paper once again before setting off and Rose followed in his wake. He walked right up to one of the houses and knocked on the door, Rose just a step behind him. He was just about to knock again when the door opened.

The old man on the other side hesitated for just a second and the Doctor's natural exuberance took over. "Hello there, I'm --"

"The Doctor," the old man said with a twinkle in his eye. Then his gaze shifted to her. "And Rose Tyler. Come in, come in," the stranger added once the shock had worn off. He turned and hobbled away, leaning heavily on a cane. "I've made tea."

The Doctor looked down at her and lifted an eyebrow, but he followed the man into the house. Rose was mildly disappointed to see that the inside was just as normal-looking as the outside. The living room was comfortably furnished, but not elegant. There were some art pieces scattered around the room, a few landscape paintings and a sculpture, but nothing more personal. In fact, the house had the distinct feeling of a furnished rental.

"Make yourselves comfortable. I'll get the tea." He turned and walked through an archway into the kitchen. Rose could hear him puttering around, moving crockery; it was all very domestic.

"That's definitely our telepath," the Doctor hissed once they were alone. "But, Rose, his walls. They're just as strong as mine."

"Is he a Time Lord, then?"

"No. At least I don't think so. I'm relatively certain I'd recognize another Time Lord."

"You don't sound relatively certain. Could you check?"

"I could," the Doctor admitted, "but that would be incredibly rude."

Rose leveled a glare at him that would have withered a lesser man. "I thought that was you, rude and not ginger."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well-l-l. Okay." She grinned at his easy acceptance. "You distract him with the tea and I'll scan him."

Rose nodded and followed their host into the kitchen. "Let me help you with that," she said, interrupting him as he was stretching to get a box of biscuits from a high shelf. He moved over and picked up the tea tray while Rose got the biscuits. She smiled when she saw that they were her favorite.

He had placed the tea tray on the table by this time and she took the plate he offered her for the biscuits. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you," he replied. "I'm very glad you approve." He moved the cups off of the tea tray, his motions slow and deliberate. When he had them laid out to his liking, he adjusted the plate Rose had put the biscuits on then spoke over his shoulder loud enough for the Doctor to hear him from the living room. "If you're quite done scanning me, Doctor, you can join us for tea. I would be happy to answer any of your questions. Well, some of your questions, I should say."

The Doctor entered the kitchen looking a bit like a kid who had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I... uh... that is --"

"Perfectly understandable. But please, no sonic screwdrivers, Doctor. As I said, I'll answer your questions." He pulled out a chair. "Excuse my manners, Rose, my mother would have my head for sitting before a lady, but --"

"Oh! Nonsense. Sit, please." Rose helped him into the chair then reached for the teapot. "How do you take your tea?"

"Two sugars, thank you."

Rose glanced up at the Doctor then proceeded to make two identical cups of tea. She handed one to each man then made a cup for herself.

"Just how old are you?" the Doctor asked after Rose sat nibbling a biscuit next to their mysterious host.

"Doctor!"

"Rude," he reminded her.

The old man sipped at his tea and chuckled to himself. "I'm 190 years old, Doctor."

The Doctor whistled through his teeth. "That's --"

"Remarkable for a Tarandi, yes. My father fancies himself a physician. He poked around many years ago, cleaned out my arteries, removed a few curious lumps, nothing too invasive, mind you, just extended my life a bit."

"Forty years is more than 'a bit'. He must have been an extraordinary physician."

"Oh, he is."

"And you're speaking about him in the present tense. You I understand, but your father would have to be... oh... well over 220 years old and that's just --"

From behind his teacup, their host smiled a secret smile. "Considerably more than that, actually." He took a draught from the cup and put it down on the table. "I apologize, I am the one being rude now. To clarify, when I speak of my parents, I speak of my adopted parents. I had the good fortune to be adopted by a lovely couple from a very long-lived species. However, that means that both of them will outlive me by several centuries, I'm afraid. I don't have any memories of my birth parents."

"You were very fortunate," Rose said, speaking for the first time.

The old man turned to her. Their eyes locked and Rose was startled to feel a deeper connection there. "Yes, I was."

"Hey," the Doctor said, drawing his attention away from her. "You speak of your adoptive parents with fondness, and yet there is not a single photograph of them in sight."

So the Doctor had noticed the lack of personal items around the lounge, too.

"I have a great many pictures of my parents, Doctor, and their children, my siblings. I find it is... less complicated to not have them out where they are easily seen."

"Show them to me."

"I'm afraid I can't."

"Who are you?"

"I can't answer that question."

The Doctor put his cup down, his eyes never leaving their host. Rose noticed that his cup was still as full as it had been when she'd handed it to him. "Rose, we're leaving."

"You've only just arrived," the old man protested.

"And now we're leaving. Rose?"

Rose shrugged apologetically at the old man, but he didn't pay her any attention until she rounded the table to stand beside the Doctor. "I would like it if you would stay."

Though it was directed at Rose, the Doctor answered for her. "You're not going to keep us here."

"I wouldn't dream of it. You are free to leave, if that is what you wish."

"Doctor --"

Rose was cut off suddenly when their host slowly stood and the Doctor stepped protectively between them. Even from around the Doctor's body she could see the wounded indignation that sparked in the other man's eyes.

"I have been cryptic, I will agree, Doctor, but have I given you cause to believe I would harm either of you?"

"I've been in enough situations that I've learned to be cautious." Rose placed her hand on the Doctor's arm, but he was already speaking again. "The message on the psychic paper, that wasn't meant for me."

It wasn't a question, but the old man answered anyway. "It was meant for someone else," he agreed.

"Rose, go back home."

"I'll stay."

He turned his body slightly, never taking his eyes off of the old man as he slipped his hand into Rose's. "I'm asking you to go to the ship. I'll be right behind you."

"Doctor --"

"I'll be right behind you," he repeated, this time in a tone that brooked no argument.

She looked back at their host. "Thank you for the tea."

"It was nice seeing you, Rose," the stranger offered. "Forgive me if I don't show you out," he added gesturing to the Doctor still standing sentinel between them.

Reluctantly, Rose left. The Doctor waited until he heard the door close behind her before speaking again. "Who are you?"

"You keep asking questions you know I can't answer, Doctor. You have your suspicions already, why don't you voice them?"

"I'd rather not."

"But you want to, I can see the curiosity burning in your eyes. You've gotten rid of your human companion, and you could easily create a mental block to forget anything you learn here that you shouldn't know, so what's holding you back?"

"You're a passably strong telepath; you'd have to be to direct a specific message to my psychic paper. But your mental walls are far beyond Tarandi capabilities."

"I told you I was adopted as a child."

"By who?"

"I've already told you that I can't answer that question."

Undaunted the Doctor moved on. "You know a time traveler, presumably it's someone in your immediate family. That's why you can't have any pictures of them on display, you never know when in their own timeline they're going to appear."

"Oh, very good. More than one actually. The whole family, gallivanting around the universe. I'm too old to travel with them now, so I settled here."

"This was a first meeting for Rose and me, but not a first for you. You're someone from our future."

"Correct again, Doctor. Don't apologize when you figure it out, it will only confuse me."

"You've revealed nothing, no accidental slips, not a hint of who you are to us."

"I've had a lifetime to become accustomed to dealing with out of sync time travelers, Doctor, give me some credit. You may be curious, but you have to respect that my parents taught me well. What did you expect? Me to open my walls to you? Or drop hints about your future? I could, if you think it would satisfy your burning curiosity."

"How am I supposed to trust you?"

"Precisely because I have not asked you to and because I have not flaunted my knowledge of your past or future. I merely invited you in for tea, which you did not drink, but which you did analyze. You know it contained nothing harmful to Time Lords, Humans, or Tarandi."

The Doctor did not deny the accusation. "Who was the summons intended for?"

The old man took a deep breath, his hand fidgeting on the head of his cane. He closed his eyes and kept them closed as he answered. "My father. I'm dying."

"But --"

The old man's eyes opened. "I've lived a long and happy life, Doctor. My family will be sad to see me go, but they resigned themselves to my mortality a long time ago. Thanks to my father's meddling I had 40 years more than I should have and I am grateful to have had them."

He took a deep breath. "And now I think this meeting is at an end. Rose will be worried about you, as you are definitely not right behind her." He gestured to the door and herded the Doctor ahead of him at his slow pace, ignoring any efforts the Time Lord made to get more answers. They arrived at the door and he shuffled around the Doctor and opened the door, then waited for him to step through. "It was good to see you again, Doctor. Give my love to Rose and the TARDIS."

"You sound like you'll never see us again."

"But I know that I will. You would not let me die alone." He let this information sink in, then added, "Try not to be too upset about the artwork. It's a passable representation of the Mona Lisa, when viewed through the artist's abstract algorithmic eyes. Besides, the old girl loves it."

Without another word he closed the door firmly between them.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the third time that week they'd been mistaken for a couple. Considering that they'd spent four days of said week floating in the vortex while the Doctor made repairs to the TARDIS, they were three for three on their stops. Not that Rose minded, but after yesterday's embarrassment, the Doctor had barely wanted to look at her. He'd seemed better this morning but now with this reminder he was skittish again.

The first time had been cute, they'd arrived during a religious festival and the natives of the planet had assumed they were newlyweds and showered them with traditional flowers. The particular event they'd arrived to stop had turned out to be a huge misunderstanding. There had been smiles all around when it was time for them to leave. The whole day had been one huge fluffy adventure; it had been a nice change of pace.

Yesterday had been the polar opposite. The Doctor had tracked an alien shape shifter down to the surface of a planet and had dived right in without even bothering to check any of the local customs. Needless to say, it had not been a good day for Rose to wear red. Red was the traditional color of a married woman in a society where women were little more than property, and since she had also not been wearing a veil to hide her face, two assumptions had plagued them all day. One, that she had left her husband to run off with the Doctor, and two, that they were unmarried but consorting. They were met with vitriol everywhere they went, and by the end of the day the Doctor had decided the residents of the planet deserved whatever havoc the shape shifter chose to inflict. He'd stormed back to the TARDIS in a huff, Rose close behind.

Just like today.

"I said I was sorry!" Rose said as she chased after the Doctor. With his longer stride and the ground-eating pace he'd set, it meant that she was literally jogging to keep up with him. "How was I supposed to know?"

Fish. She'd been craving fish and chips so she'd ordered the fish at a tiny little bay-side restaurant the Doctor himself had recommended. Apparently, that had been bad enough as the traditions of the planet deemed fish a symbol of fertility, but all hell had broken loose when she had coaxed the Doctor to take a bite, too. Suddenly they were honeymooners, trying and (apparently) failing to remain inconspicuous. The Doctor had managed to extricate them after the third toast in their honor, but not before he'd somehow managed to coax a rather large slice of banana cake away from the chef.

Rose finally caught up to him when he stopped to open the TARDIS door. "Five seconds. If you'd just take five seconds to check the customs of the planet before we leave the TARDIS, things like this wouldn't happen."

He froze, one hand on his key, the other ready to push the door open as soon as it was unlocked. With a great sigh he leaned his head forward and thumped it gently on the door. A second later he lifted his head and repeated the motion.

Um. Rose reached out to touch him but hesitated as he thumped against the door a third time. "Doctor?"

He looked up at her, his eyes sullen, his whole face drawn. "Nag, nag, nag. You sound like an old fishwife, Rose Tyler." He erupted into laughter at the look of shock on her face and pushed open the TARDIS door.

"You!" Rose sputtered after him. "I thought you were mad at me!" She followed him into the ship and slammed the door.

"Oi! Mind the door!"

"Forget the door. You made me chase you all the way back here. You wouldn't even look at me. But it was all, what, a joke for you?"

"Rose --"

"I wanted fish. You knew I was going to order the fish and you didn't think to mention something important like, oh, I don't know, fish being a part of native fertility rites?"

"It wasn't --"

"And you... I offered you a bite because it was delicious and you took it. In front of all those people, you ate it right off my - what was that thing called again?"

"Naie. It's like a fork, but the first tine --"

"Shut up!"

He closed his mouth so quickly his teeth clacked together.

"Five seconds, that's all I ask. Spend five seconds double checking that we've landed where and when you wanted us to and that I'm not going to start an intergalactic incident because I'm ignorant of local customs."

He sidled closer, his hands outstretched before him in an attempt to soothe her. "Messing up is half the fun. I've always just jumped right in and most of the time it ends up being brilliant."

"I thought you were mad," Rose choked back a sob as anger gave way to the underlying fear, "really mad, and after yesterday I was afraid... Doctor, I thought --"

His arms came up to surround her and Rose found herself pulled into his embrace. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have teased you like that. Rose, it's okay," he said as the dam broke and Rose's tears began soaking into his jacket. He spoke gently and calmly over the sound of her crying, his mouth so close to her ear that she could feel his breath on her cheek. "I'm not going to send you away because of a misunderstanding. Yesterday was my fault, I should have remembered about the red or at least the veil."

Rose muttered against his shoulder.

"What?"

She straightened and sniffled. "I said the veil would have been worse."

"And why, Rose Tyler, would wearing a veil on Chang-er have been worse?"

Rose bit her lip as she realized the nature of the worms inside the can she had just unintentionally opened. She sniffled again and wiped her eyes dry with the tips of her fingers. It was a delaying tactic, one he would probably see right through, but she needed a moment to remove her foot from her mouth. He was her best friend, her secret crush, her teacher, her fantasy, her whole world. Why would a veil have been worse? Because it would have been a lie, underscoring the stark truth that they would never be anything _more_ and chipping at the wall Rose had so carefully built between them to keep her feelings for him hidden.

He cupped her face with his hands and used his thumbs to help dry her cheeks. His voice when he spoke was deeper than usual, intrigued but not pushy. "I asked you a question, Rose."

Yeah, and certainly not fooled at all. "Because we're not married. We're not even... you know. In the end it would have been just like today: embarrassing and..."

"And?"

Painful. But she couldn't tell him that. "Pointless."

"Today wasn't pointless, Rose. It was nice. We met some nice people, had some great food. I had a good time, and you did too, up until my little joke. I even got some banana cake out of it!"

Rose remembered that he'd used both hands to open the TARDIS door. Which meant he'd probably shoved the cake in his pocket sometime during the walk back to the TARDIS. She shuddered to think what it would look like when he took it back out.

"But somehow I don't think pointless is the word you were searching for."

How could he possibly -- telepath. His hands were still on her face. "Get out of my head," she snapped as she tried to back away from him. Surprisingly he managed to keep contact without making it seem like he was trying to hold her captive.

"I'm not in your head, Rose. Look at me." She calmed a little and he turned her face carefully so that their eyes met. "I'm not, I promise. I remember how much you were bothered by the idea of the TARDIS being in your head without permission. I'd never do that to you. Talk about causing an intergalactic incident, there are all sorts of treaties and proclamations which prohibit telepaths from imposing on other people's minds. As a Time Lord, I'm bound to uphold those laws; I'm definitely not above them."

She thought something particularly scathing about him.

"Tsk. That's not very nice."

This time she did manage to break his hold on her. "You are in my head!"

"Rose, I don't have to be in your head to read your face. You scowled just now. I've known you long enough that I've got a pretty good idea of what you're thinking. Telepathy is intimate in ways you cannot possibly imagine. It's not something I share with just anyone. You would know without a doubt if I was accessing your mind... If you wanted..." His voice trailed off.

He reached out and brushed his thumb from the corner of her eye down her cheek and along the line of her jaw until he got to the point of her chin before pulling away again. The whole thing was over in the space between two heartbeats, but it left her breathless, especially on the heels of his not quite offer to share something with her that he had personally described as intimate.

"You remember that I'm telepathic, but you forget that I'm not Human. I may look like you, but I don't think like a Human and I don't react like a Human. I have senses you can't even begin to imagine, and the ones that correlate to yours are infinitely more sensitive."

He repeated the motion with his thumb. "For instance, when I do this your heart rate elevates, blood rushes to your face, your pupils dilate, your knees go slightly weak, and your breath catches. You start hyper-producing pheromones --"

"That's not fair," Rose breathed. She shoved the horror that he'd known all along about her feelings for him deep down so that it wouldn't rear its head to spoil whatever was about to happen between them.

"No, it's not. To a Human. But what's really not fair," he took a step closer to her, "is that you respond like that every time I touch you, even just to take your hand. At first I thought it was just the thrill of the adventure. Then I thought it would fade once you knew more about me, the age difference, my past, the regeneration. When it didn't I thought - hoped, prayed - that I would be strong enough to resist it. You've taught me something about myself." He bent down and pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth.

Rose's eyes fluttered closed and she heard a tiny whimper that she barely recognized as her own.

"I'm not strong enough, Rose," he said when he lifted his head instead of deepening the kiss. "That's the real reason these last few days have upset me so much. Not because I'm resistant to the idea of a relationship with you, but because I'm open to it."

"Oh, Doctor." A whisper only, extinguished when his lips pressed against the center of hers. It was soft and gentle, timid and innocent, and so different from the way he approached everything else in the universe.

Once again he broke the kiss, this time just as Rose was parting her lips to allow him inside. "It's been hundreds of years since I was a part of something that I couldn't just run away from. If you'll have me, I'd like to build something like that with you."

She nodded, completely disarmed by the sweet shyness of his unexpected request. "Yes," she said finally when she'd found her voice. "Yes, yes, yes."

He smiled his megawatt smile and kissed her again, teasing her lips with the tip of his tongue but not accepting the open invitation of her mouth. "We can take it slow. There's no rush." 


	3. Chapter 3

_"We can take it slow,"_ Rose mimicked in her bedroom mirror as she forcefully brushed her hair. _"There's no rush."_ Three weeks of taking things glacially slow had taken a toll on Rose. It was driving her spare. But the Doctor had the willpower of a glacier as well and had chastised her more than once about her lack of patience. Her only consolation was the fact that their relationship was moving forward at all.

Except she felt like a young teen again. Hand-holding and the occasional sweet kiss seemed to be the limit of what he considered "acceptable" behavior now that he was her boyf–- now that they were, well, _more_. It seemed trite to call a 900 year old Time Lord her boyfriend, especially when nothing between them had really changed. They'd been holding hands since the very first time they'd met and while the kissing was new, he never once tried to take it any further.

The Time Lord in question knocked gently on her door and peered in at her through the crack she'd left in it. "Rose?"

"You can come in." But he wouldn't, she knew, even as he pushed the door open so that he could look at her fully. He'd never said it in as many words, but since admitting to her that he was interested in a relationship, his toes had not crossed her threshold again. The temptation of the bed, the room, the perceived intimacy, was too great. She missed the times he would talk to her from the other side of her en suite door while she dressed, the rare occasions when he'd stay with her until she'd fall asleep after a particularly harrowing adventure, and yes, a part of her even missed him jumping on her bed in the mornings to wake her.

He bounced lightly on his feet, obviously anxious to get moving. "We've landed."

The Doctor took more care with his driving now that their relationship had moved on to the next step. Landings were gentle and they rarely ever ended up on the opposite end of the universe from where he'd intended. It was a measure of how protective he'd become of her in the last few weeks. He'd even taken her advice the last time they had landed somewhere unexpectedly and checked out the local customs before unleashing them both upon the unsuspecting planet.

Rose put her brush down and looked at him. "Where are we?"

He grinned. "It's a surprise."

His enthusiasm about their location was infectious, and he had her easily laughing with him as they walked out of the TARDIS together. She wasn't upset with him, not really; she loved him too much for that. But her frustration levels were definitely high.

Ten minutes later she was standing beside him as two footmen tied plain black half masks over their faces. Apparently they'd arrived just in time to attend the Harvest Masquerade, and the Doctor, never one to miss a party, had quickly gotten them invited.

The music washed over them as they entered the ballroom proper. The center of the room was packed with the humanoid natives who danced in their elaborate costumes. There were a few scattered throughout the room, like her and the Doctor, wearing simple masks.

Before Rose could even get her bearings, the Doctor was dragging her onto the dance floor. His hands settled on her waist, but they didn't stay that way long as the music was decidedly up-tempo. He'd taken her dancing, she realized when he kept her there even after the first song ended and another began. This was a proper date.

Now, if only they could go the rest of the evening without having to save the world.

* * *

They danced nearly every dance together, simply laughing and following along as best they could when the steps became too complicated. Rose's cheeks were flushed as they walked together to the impressive buffet that had been laid out sometime during the last song. Her hand was clasped tightly in his own, though he couldn't tell which of them had the firmer grip, and she leaned heavily on his shoulder.

"That was so much fun!"

He nodded as he picked up a plate and handed it to her. "The Ihrea Tourlou. It's a very complicated dance, Rose, you should be proud you followed along as well as you did."

She spun once, mimicking the second set of the dance, her empty plate in her raised hand. Suddenly, the Doctor grabbed her and pulled her close to him. Rose's eyes were wide when she looked up at him, a look that was tempered with disappointment a second later when he apologized over her head at a man in a red headdress she'd nearly run into and she figured out what had almost happened.

They walked along the buffet line and more than once he had to stop her from selecting something that would disagree with her. Rose pouted when he made her put back a small pink spring roll that would have quickly ended their night. Then Rose led them to two empty chairs next to a couple they had partnered with for one of the quad dances.

"Hello," he said as he put his plate down next to the male who was wearing a bird costume. "I'm the Doctor and this is Rose Tyler."

"Hi."

"I am Feri and this is Vorta," Feri gestured to his partner who was wrapped in varying shades of blue silk. "You dance very well."

"Thank you."

They laughed and joked as they ate and the Doctor felt some of his tension start to leave. Maybe he was over-thinking his relationship with Rose. Intellectually, he knew that Gallifreyan and Human concepts of relationships were different; it was one of the major reasons he'd never tried this before, second only to the fact that Rose was the first person he'd ever met that he felt he was compatible with.

On Gallifrey the actual matchmaking part of the relationship would have been done by a neutral third party who would determine the couple's compatibility and the potential of their offspring. Only if they were deemed a good match would the couple be allowed to meet properly. Rose's culture had no such intermediaries, so Gallifreyan custom had won out for the first stage of their relationship. He'd determined them compatible. From 'run' he'd felt a connection to her, and it had only grown stronger as time had passed. Rose grounded him and built him up all at the same time. She was both his student and his teacher. She had seen and done impossible things, and through it all stayed constant by his side, repeatedly offering him her forever.

He'd ignored the second part of that Gallifreyan ritual, as was his wont to only incorporate the parts of his culture that suited him. He hadn't bothered checking their genetic potential. Their lifestyle wasn't exactly conducive to children, and he didn't even know if it was something Rose would be interested in. It was also entirely possible that they wouldn't be genetically compatible at all; Time Lords hadn't exactly made it a habit of mating with Humans, so he didn't have a ready point of reference. Since he didn't want to accidentally let slip that he'd checked 'just in case' and have Rose think he was trying to use her to repopulate his species, he would save that research for when they were both ready to talk about it.

The only thing holding him back from moving forward with their relationship now was his own flight response. He'd spent nearly his entire life running away, from his wife, his people, and responsibility in general. His granddaughter Susan was the only person in his life he had managed to keep around for any measurable length of time, and even then in the end he'd pushed her away as well. Rose was special. He cared about her, loved her so deeply she probably would never be able to fathom it. But he was terrified of the eventuality of losing her.

After dinner they headed back to the dance floor. The band was playing a slow tune and Rose fitted herself easily into his embrace. _This_ , he thought as he rested his chin on the top of her head. This was what made every wall he tried to break down between them worth it, the feeling of his pink and yellow human in his arms.

The slow song morphed into a high energy tune not unlike twenty-first century techno, and Rose pulled away from him ever so slightly with a mischievous grin as she began to gyrate to the beat. She knew this kind of music wasn't his forte, but despite the fact that she had stepped out of his embrace, she wasn't letting him go, instead using him as an anchor, her hands moving from his shoulders to his hips as she danced.

He tried to keep up with her and just when he finally starting moving successfully to the rhythm, Rose ground her hips against his and let out a low, breathless hum that he wouldn't have heard over the music if it weren't for his superior hearing.

"Rose? Are you all right?"

"Yeah. 'm good." She ground her hips against him again. "Real good."

A quick analysis of the chemicals she was secreting into the air belied her assertion. This was not 'good'. And he'd been so careful helping her select foods to eat. She must have snuck something else onto her plate when he wasn't looking. He grabbed her arm and dragged her off of the dance floor, already pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "I'm just going to run a quick scan," he replied to her affronted noise.

She pulled away from him. "What for?"

"Rose, something's affecting you. I need to find out what it is so that I can neutralize it."

"I feel fine, Doctor."

"You're not behaving normally. Your pheromones are off the charts and you were practically initiating mating rituals with me on the dance floor."

"For all the - mating rituals! I get aroused and it's automatically because of some alien aphrodisiac? I'm not you, Doctor, I'm not asexual. I'm a lowly Human, and I have needs, physical needs that my boyfriend –-" she thumped him hard on the chest, "-- is supposed to help with!"

"Oh."

She was flushed, and not from exertion or arousal. "Yes, _oh_. It's been God knows how long since I broke up with Mickey, and I was just fine until _this_ ," she made a gesture between them that he took to mean their changed relationship. "And now we're supposed to be more, but you won't even --"

The Doctor stepped forward, closing the distance between them as his lips found hers. He tasted her anger and frustration, silently rejoiced when he felt them both fall away as his tongue slid into her mouth.

He'd hoped to end the evening - if things went well - with a kiss, something more than the chaste ones they'd shared over the last few weeks. This went well beyond that. Rose groaned, tearing at his shoulders hungrily and he pushed tighter against her, his hands fisting in her shirt at her waist.

"Doctor, please," she murmured against his lips.

He broke the kiss then pressed his cheek against hers. "Please be patient with me, Rose. Physical intimacy doesn't come easy to me. Most Time Lord matches were political and though some couples eventually developed feelings for each other, our relationship has been more physical from the very beginning than most of my people would experience in their entire lives."

Rose pulled her face back from his so she could meet his gaze. "Can we be physically intimate? Have sex... like I know it? I mean, considering we're different species and all that."

"Yes, Rose, we're physically compatible."

"And you want to?"

"I do."

"Just not right now?"

He nodded tightly.

She leaned her head against the wall behind her. "Okay," she said several deep breaths later.


	4. Chapter 4

Five very tense days had passed in the TARDIS. Then, last night he'd promised her that today would be special, but had given her no hints as to why or even what he had planned. As much as she tried to keep track of the time that was passing on Earth, Rose had discovered early on that keeping track of 24 hour days in a ship that traveled in time was impossible.

So, she really had no idea if today was some Earth holiday, a birthday, an anniversary, or some local reason to celebrate. Honestly, though, it could be nothing or something totally off the wall; she'd never been able to predict the course of his thoughts.

"Eridan," he announced when she stepped into the console room.

"Which one is Eridan again?" The Doctor had discussed with her what their next few stops would be, but Rose had trouble keeping all of them straight in her mind.

He leaned down to place a small kiss on her cheek. "Three moons."

"Oh, yeah."

It was mid afternoon when they stepped out of the TARDIS, one of the three moons already high above their heads, the second just beginning its ascent. A part of her missed the randomness of traveling with him before, she thought as she looked around in wonder at the sights before her, but sometimes going where you'd planned was worth it.

It was almost always market day or coronation day or some celebration or festival no matter where they landed - and never a Sunday. The Doctor was nothing if not completely put out by the mundane, so he gravitated to big events like a moth to flame. Today was no exception.

Everything was covered in flowers. Roses, specifically, in hundreds of colors and varieties, including a few she'd never even seen before but that she assumed were roses. There were baskets of them lining the street, wreaths decorated doors, vendors with barrows sold them on the sidewalks, and people wore them in their hair as leis and as corsages.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest as he leaned against the TARDIS door behind them. "I hope you like it," he murmured into her ear.

"It's beautiful," she replied, her voice tinged with awe.

He hummed softly in her ear for a second as she soaked it all in before singing along to the melody in the same intimate tone, " _'The rose that all are praising / is not the Rose for me / too many eyes are gazing upon the costly tree / but there's a Rose in yonder glen / that shuns the gaze of other men / for me its blossom raising / Oh! That's the Rose for me.'_ " He placed a kiss on the top of her ear. "Thomas Haynes Bayly, brilliant man. I couldn't have said it better myself."

Rose turned and slipped her hands behind his neck, dragging him down for a proper kiss. "It's beautiful. It's perfect. Thank you."

He rested his forehead against hers. "I should be the one thanking you, Rose Tyler. Two years ago today you saved me when you took my hand in a department store basement."

"You saved me," she protested weakly.

He separated her hands and laced his fingers together with hers. "That's not how I see it." He kissed her again, this time with an intent that went way beyond the sweetness of the previous weeks.

A polite cough from behind her drew them apart. Rose leaned against him heavily, too weak to do otherwise, as he glared daggers at the interloper.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," a soft female voice said. "I was hoping you might like to buy a flower for your wife."

Rose flushed as scarlet as the roses that surrounded them.

"You haven't got any flowers," the Doctor pointed out.

Rose turned then, to look at the woman. She was barely older than Rose herself, though there was something indescribable about her that made her seem so much younger. She was dressed in a plain white ankle-length dress with a blue apron and she was incredibly thin - one of the few people who could make the Doctor look well-fed. She would probably be considered pretty if her face was a bit fuller. Her mouse brown hair was cut short and styled sensibly in a way that screamed she had neither the time nor patience for anything else.

"The children and I have a stall," she replied, suddenly enthusiastic, gesturing a little ways up the street.

"Well, in that case," the Doctor pushed off of the TARDIS, pulling Rose along with him, "I think my wife needs a flower." The last was for Rose's benefit alone as the girl had already left to hurry away to the stall.

"Doctor," Rose chastised as they followed several steps behind the girl.

"Yes, wife of mine?"

"Tease," she shot back.

"Maybe, maybe not," he replied and Rose felt her jaw drop. "There's you traveling across the universe, young, beautiful, single, and completely ignorant of local customs, customs your designated driver seems loathe to explain. Your much older and wiser and certainly handsome designated driver." He tweaked his tie and smiled down at her and though Rose was certain he was teasing her, a fluttering in her stomach warned that there might be some truth to his words. But _married_? Surely he'd have mentioned that. Surely she would have noticed? Right?

She was just about to ask when his smile faded and he leaned heavily against her, his hand coming up to touch his temple. "Rose --" he gasped before he toppled over entirely, too suddenly for Rose to catch him.

"Doctor!" She managed to cushion him so that his head did not hit the pavement on the way down, but he was already unconscious before he fell. "Doctor, what's wrong with you?" she asked, hating the fact that the question was rhetorical, as she straightened his limbs to make him more comfortable and checked him for any obvious sign of distress. There was nothing, and as she'd searched a crowd had formed around them.

Rose held his hand as she smoothed his hair away from his face with her other. His breathing was steady, and he could almost be accused of falling asleep. She heard someone calling for a doctor, but the voice seemed so far away. It wouldn't matter that one had been called. The Doctor had grabbed his head before falling and she was pretty sure that meant whatever had happened to him had happened telepathically.

For good measure, she brushed her fingers across his temple and sent him a wave of love and comfort as powerful as she could manage. Rose knew that as a Human she barely registered on the scale that measured telepathy, but she had to at least try.

The crowd parted then, to make way for a small older man in spectacles who could only be the doctor that had been summoned. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked as he knelt beside the Doctor.

Then, as suddenly as he had collapsed, the Doctor's eyes opened and he fixed his gaze on Rose. He tried to sit up but the doctor placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Not so fast, son." The doctor looked up at Rose. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she replied. "We were walking and he grabbed his head and collapsed."

"I'm fine, Rose," the Doctor said, trying again to sit up. "I'm a doctor," he said to the other man when he once again tried to stop him.

"Fantastic," he groused as he grudgingly helped the Doctor sit up very carefully. "We do tend to make the worst patients." He looked at the people standing around them. "The show's over, people, give the man some air."

Gradually, the crowd broke up until it was just the Doctor, the doctor, Rose, and the flower girl who had come back to see what had held up her sale but who now stood guiltily wringing her hands.

"When's the last time you ate?" The Doctor looked at Rose, silently pleading with her to grant him reprieve from the doctor's attention. Rose just glared at him and sat back on her haunches to wait.

The Doctor sputtered an answer that the doctor clearly did not believe, but he just "uh-huh'd" and continued asking questions. "Have you engaged in any strenuous activity recently or a new exercise regime?"

"No."

Rose flushed to the roots of her hair when the doctor looked at her, clearly also not believing the Doctor's denial of strenuous activity.

"Any allergies or known medical conditions?"

Rose continued to glare at him as he hesitated. "Only one allergy, and if I'd ingested that we would not be having this conversation."

"Okay. Fair enough. Can you tell me what happened immediately before you collapsed?"

"It was a headache. It just happened upon me suddenly."

"Are you prone to these kinds of headaches?"

The Doctor shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the way this line of questioning was going. And, if Rose's suspicions were correct, he had good reason to be. "I'm fine."

"Son, if you're not going to be honest with me --"

"I said I'm fine."

The doctor sighed, but even Rose could tell he'd given up. "Can I at least get your name to give to my office should you come in?"

He hesitated again and Rose squeezed his hand. "Doctor," she threatened. They both looked up at her, her Doctor's brow furrowed in a clear request to be spared this.

"Oh, all right," he said when she did not yield. "Dr. John Smith."

"And you are?" the doctor asked turning to Rose.

"My wife, Rose Smith-Tyler."

Rose gaped at her 'husband' but he only smiled smugly back at her. The doctor and Rose stood and between them they helped the Doctor stand as well. He grumbled about not needing the help, but Rose could tell that he was unsteady on his feet for a second before he straightened.

"Thank you, doctor," Rose said, offering her hand to the little physician.

"I feel as though I should thank you, Mrs. Smith. I suspect he would not have been nearly as accommodating had you not been here."

"I'm right here," the Doctor whined.

Rose wrapped her arm around the Doctor's waist and smiled up at him with her tongue between her teeth. "Oh, hush. You're a big baby, and you know it."

With an understanding smile the doctor handed Rose a business card then left them.

"Are you really okay?" Rose asked as soon as the other man was out of earshot.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"What happened --" She stopped as the flower girl approached them, still wringing her hands.

"I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Rose replied then looked for the Doctor's surreptitious nod to tell her that her platitude was not misguided.

"I just - I mean, if I wouldn't have bothered you then maybe --" She stopped and composed herself. "I'm sorry to have troubled you." With a tiny curtsy she turned and went back to her stall.

Rose was happy to see her go, but the Doctor called out, "Miss, I never did get that flower."

The girl turned back to them, her face lit up so brightly that Rose's earlier estimations of her beauty had to be reassessed. She hurried to the stall and immediately began issuing orders to the five young children waiting there. They all appeared Human and varied in age from about five Earth standard years to maybe as much as ten. Each one held a small basket with a different variety of rose.

The Doctor gently removed Rose's arm from around his waist and threaded his fingers with hers. "And I'm sorry, too. I meant this to be a holiday, but it looks like we've stumbled upon something else."

"You don't have any reason to be sorry. Sometimes I just think you're a trouble magnet."

"If it's any consolation, I don't think it's dangerous this time. The impression I got was more fearful than malicious."

So, it was something telepathic. She snuggled against him and breathed deeply for the first time since he'd collapsed, his scent comforting her. "That's good to hear."

"Thank you," he said, touching his temple. "For earlier."

"Of course. Although, _husband_ , I seem to have some holes in my memory with regard to our relationship that I'm going to need you to help me with."

He chuckled, and that sound, more than anything else, convinced her that everything was going to be all right. "Why, Mrs. Smith, I would be glad to."


	5. Chapter 5

He moved toward the anxious face of the flower girl and her charges, Rose still clinging to his side. Not that he blamed her, the afternoon and their trip had certainly taken an unexpected twist. There was very little that could put him out so easily but the mental storm he'd received from their unknown telepath had done the trick.

But Rose had been amazing, as always. Mrs. Smith. She'd barely batted an eye. If they ever did really marry - for, despite his teasing to the contrary, they were not - he was going to have to decide on a proper name, something she would be proud to use, not just an alias he had chosen at random a few hundred years earlier.

The Doctor squeezed Rose's hand and nodded her in the direction of the children while he stopped to talk to the flower girl. "I'll warn you in advance, I'm incredibly rude. I find it makes it a lot easier to get the answers I'm looking for when I'm not trying to protect everyone's feelings. That said, these children can't possibly all be yours."

"Oh, no, sir." She flushed nearly as completely as Rose had when the doctor had suggested they had a strenuous physical relationship. "None of them are mine, actually. My name is Aenen. I'm a graduate of the Aelgis School. These are my charges."

"Aelgis School?"

"For orphans, sir. We're hoping to raise some money for the school."

The Doctor looked around at the brisk trade occurring at every single stall and barrow save the one he stood before. His brow furrowed. "You don't appear to be succeeding."

Her blush had not yet managed to recede before it renewed. "No, sir." She looked down at her - very worn, he noticed - shoes.

Ah, 'graduate' was a euphemism, then, for 'orphan who made it to legal adulthood without being adopted.' He looked behind the flower girl to where Rose was interacting with the children. She seemed to be getting along swimmingly.

"There's something more, something you're not telling me."

"I'm not a liar, sir."

"I did not suggest you are, simply that there's something you think I should know without having to ask. I, obviously, do not know, therefore I am asking."

The girl weighed her words before answering him. "There's a stupid stigma over the whole planet that orphans are cursed, that the curse is the reason they were orphaned in the first place. They will never be adopted, any of them, unless it's by an off-worlder. And the odds of that are astronomical. They'll be lucky to move into the workforce and get some experience that will allow them to move up in the world, provided they keep their origins a secret."

Untouchables. Not the first society to designate a class of social outcasts.

"You and your wife are off-worlders. I thought if maybe someone else saw you buying a flower then maybe we might get some other business. There's nothing wrong with our flowers."

"Smart."

Suddenly, she was defensive. "We take education very seriously at Aelgis. It's the only advantage some of the children will ever have."

The Doctor slipped one finger under her chin and used it to lift her face so that he could meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. Smart and well-educated."

She flushed again and pulled away from him.

Rose picked that moment to call out. "Doctor?"

He looked at her and saw that she'd uncovered something she thought he should see. "So, tell me about these flowers," the Doctor said, drawing Aenen back into the conversation. "I've never seen some of these varieties."

"Oh, the children," she replied. "You must ask them." Without asking permission, Aenen grabbed the Doctor's arm and pulled him towards the first child in the stall.

It was a boy, about eight Earth standard years old, holding a basket of pink Earth roses. The Doctor could barely suppress a grin. Aenen gestured at the boy who began to speak.

"These roses originated on old Earth more than 3,000 years ago and were grown primarily in Tyler, Texas, 'the rose capital of the world.' Known as Tyler Roses, the scent was eventually bred out of the strain until genetic tinkering by Dr. Philip Geoffry in 2562 reactivated the gene."

The Doctor became aware that Aenen had mouthed the boy's whole speech along with him.

"Tyler Roses?" Rose giggled from where she sat near the end of the line.

Aenen immediately jumped in to answer. "Oh, yes, Mrs. Smith. There were at one time over 300 varieties."

The Doctor had moved on to the second child, now certain that whatever Rose wanted him to see had something to do with the last child in line. This was a girl, about five years old, who spoke her spiel haltingly, but she made it all the way through.

They moved on like that, the roses already just a means to an end that he ignored, until the Doctor and Aenen stood beside Rose and the last child. Another boy, thin like Aenen, and small, maybe five or six.

"I'm afraid we don't know anything about these flowers, sir," Aenen offered. "But they are lovely."

The Doctor looked from the boy to Aenen. "What, no sales pitch?"

"Not from Chaetl, sir. He doesn't speak."

Ah, Rose's mystery. Rose made room for him as the Doctor squatted down in front of the boy. Once they were eye-level, the Doctor finally looked down at the pink roses with yellow tips in Chaetl's basket. He gasped, his hand automatically finding Rose's as he used his other to pluck one of the flowers.

"Where did you get these?" he asked, directing the question at Aenen.

"I told you, sir, we don't know anything about them. There's a bush that grows behind the school. Chaetl likes them, so we let him hold them. Since we don't know anything about them, it makes it easy because he doesn't to have to say anything."

The Doctor twirled the flower by its stem between his fingers as he looked at the boy. To say that the boy's expression was empty would not be accurate. There was definite signs of intelligence behind his silent facade, but it looked like all curiosity had been burned out of him.

"Doctor?" Rose's questioning voice reached him at the same time she squeezed his hand.

"Arkytior," he replied. "They're Arkytior. I didn't realize someone had managed to get them to thrive off-planet."

"They're Gallifreyan?"

He nodded and handed the flower to Rose then turned back to the boy, pleased with Rose's instincts about him. "And then there's you, my little friend. What are you?"

"Doctor, is this flower --"

"Humming? Yes." He'd already answered her before he realized what she'd asked. He smiled broadly at her, thrilled beyond reason that she could hear the flower. "It's not telepathy in the truest sense of the word, but when the fields would bloom, you could hear them all the way in the Citadel." He dropped a quick kiss on Rose's head, both to impart how pleased he was and signaling an end to that line of questioning.

"Chaetl?" he confirmed, looking at Aenen who nodded.

"You may look human, but you're not, are you?" He took out his sonic screwdriver and selected a setting.

"Please, sir --"

"I'm not going to hurt him, Aenen." He scanned the boy quickly and checked the results. The Doctor rocked back on his heels.

"What is it, Doctor?"

"You have very good instincts, Rose. Aenen, why don't we go back to Aelgis to have this discussion?"

"But the flowers..."

The Doctor stood and replaced the sonic in his pocket. "It seems to me, Aenen, that the Aelgis School for Orphans needs a benefactor. I would like to learn more about it."

"But, sir --"

He helped Rose to stand. "I'll accept no false modesty, Aenen. I'm very pleased with what I've seen here: very intelligent, well-behaved, pleasant children. I wish half the planets in the universe could offer the same." He glanced over them and saw the instant effect his praise had on them. All of them were beaming except for Chaetl. "My wife and I," he wrapped his arm meaningfully around Rose's waist, "would very much like to offer a donation in light of all Aelgis' efforts."

Wisely bowing before a stronger force, Aenen began gathering up the children and their baskets. "This way, sir, ma'am." A few minutes later, she was herding the children before her as they walked together along the street, occasionally glancing back to make sure the Doctor and Rose were still following behind them.

She was a little general, a terrier, and a mother hen all rolled in to one very young package. The Doctor wondered exactly how long she had been in charge of this group.

"Doctor?" Rose whispered.

Rose. How much to tell her now? How much would she remember without him prompting her memory? It had been almost four months ago, after all.

"Not now, Rose," he whispered back at her. "I'll explain later."

"But, Doctor, a benefactor for an orphanage?"

"Don't worry. I've got money."

She snorted, "That's funny. If you've got money, then why am I always buying my own chips?"

"Ha ha, Rose Smith-Tyler. I'll have you know that saving worlds over and over again occasionally results in monetary compensation. It would be the height of insult to turn it down. Just because 21st century Earth chippies don't recognize galactic standard credits doesn't mean there isn't plenty."

She smirked, bringing him up short.

"What was that thought, Rose?"

"I'm thinking if you ever abandon me in Aberdeen, I'm entitled to half of your 'monetary compensation.'" She waved her left hand at him, and though it was devoid of a wedding ring, the meaning was clear. She'd been his 'wife' for two hours and already she was planning her settlement.

"I knew it," he replied, stamping down on his persistent flight response. "Rose Marion Tyler, you're only after me for my money."

She stopped and looked at him, her face as expressionless as her ring finger was empty. It was a joke, he wanted to scream. But in hindsight he remembered that she'd never appreciated his attempts humor when she was trying to be serious. Was she being serious about Aberdeen? How could she possibly think he'd --

Absently, he became aware that the reason Rose had stopped was that they were standing at the entrance to the Aelgis School. Aenen and the children had preceded them into the building, which was probably for the better, especially if the Doctor was about to experience the sharp side of Rose's tongue, or the famous Tyler slap.

"It's not the money, Doctor," she purred, tweaking his tie. "It's the TARDIS. I demand visitation rights." Then, with a smile she bounded up the stairs into the building.

He gaped after her for a moment before trudging up the steps, relief coursing through him. The first opportunity he got, he was going to apologize again for that fishwife comment.

Aenen was already introducing a tall older woman to Rose, and the Doctor walked right up behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist and placed a kiss on her shoulder to cover his words. "I'll get you for that."

Rose chuckled silently as she leaned back against him.

"And this is Dr. Smith," Aenen was saying, gesturing at him.

With another quick kiss, he moved away from Rose and offered his hand to the administrator. "Dr. John Smith. I see you've already met my lovely wife."

"Cyne Easchert." The woman was tall, severe, and more than a little daunted by their unexpected arrival. "I regret, Dr. Smith, that our headmaster is on leave to attend the Lovers' Festival. He will be back in two days. Until then, I can answer any questions you may have about the children or Aelgis School."

"Very good. I do have a few questions."

"Aenen," Ms. Easchert said dismissively, "see to the children."

"Actually, could she stay?" the Doctor asked.

The speculative look Ms. Easchert gave him told the Doctor far more about where some of these children ended up than he was comfortable knowing. Reason number three to give these people the money they needed.

"On second thought," he conceded, "maybe it would be better if she went with the children."

Ms. Easchert nodded and there was a long silence as Aenen hurried up the stairs. The Doctor slipped his hands into his pockets and waited. "She's very good with the children," he offered once the girl was out of earshot.

The look he received in response to that casual statement was scathing. "She is not for sale, Dr. Smith, none of the children are, regardless of how generous you intend to be with your credits."

"I'm not here to buy anyone, Ms. Easchert. My offer of money and my assessment of Aenen's capabilities are both genuine and innocent, I assure you. In fact, I'm usually the one putting an end to other people's slave rings."

Rose came up and linked her arm with his.

The woman's eyes flicked from one to the other. Whether she believed him or not, it appeared she wasn't going to push the issue. "You have no children of your own?"

The Doctor looked down at Rose with an expression he hoped passed for wistful regret. "Unfortunately, no. We're just lonely travelers trying to do good for others."

By the look on Rose's face and her wide eyes, he'd at least convinced her of his sincerity. She leaned her head on his shoulder and the Doctor was certain he heard her sniffle. He'd started this thing with her, a young woman approaching the peak of her species' and gender's breeding age, and he'd deliberately not given any consideration to whether they were compatible or even if Rose wanted children. Her reaction would indicate that she did, and wanted them with him. Or was she just a really good actress? Was it even something he wanted? Rassilon, this was not the proper time to be thinking about these things. He leaned down and placed a kiss in her hair, Ms. Easchert and her opinions of them forgotten for the moment.

"Shhh, love. It's okay."

Another moment passed before Ms. Easchert began backing into a nearby room. "I'll just give you two a moment."

"No," Rose said, lifting her head. She wiped her tear-stained cheeks dry with the hand that still clutched the Arkytior, the motion digging at him in a way he hadn't expected. "I apologize, Ms. Easchert. There are times when I am reminded suddenly and can't help myself."

The Doctor fished a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to Rose who took it and dabbed at her eyes. As she did so, he prised the flower from her hand and tucked it into her hair just above her ear.

"May I ask..."

He looked at the administrator and saw for the first time the compassion that she would need in order to be good at her job. Rose's display, whether real or faked, had at least bought them that much. "An illness, in my wife's childhood."

Ms. Easchert nodded and gestured around them. "If you are feeling better, Mrs. Smith, I can offer you a tour of our humble home."

Rose straightened and handed him back his handkerchief. "Yes, thank you, Ms. Easchert."

The woman was already talking when she turned, starting with the history of the building and how it had come into the possession of the Aelgis School. The building was drab, but in good repair, a blessing really, especially considering the way the children were looked down upon. The entryway was a long hallway with doors on either side and a staircase leading up to what he assumed were the children's living quarters.

Rose had never released his arm so he fell into step with her easily when she followed. He focused on her, filing away the things Ms. Easchert was saying without actually listening to her the same way he'd done earlier with the children's explanations about the roses. He kept waiting for Rose to give him some sign that her breakdown had been staged, but she offered him no such comfort.

He had dragged her into so many difficult and dangerous situations, but this was the first in a long time that he regretted. If this had truly hurt her he would never forgive himself.

Ms. Easchert was giving them the grand tour, apparently. They passed through the kitchens, the dining hall, a small music room, and several classrooms. Rose asked a lot of well thought out and pointed questions, and he filed the answers away as well. Ms. Easchert indicated the headmaster's office and her own before starting up the stairs. Finally, Rose looked up at him and offered him a small, sad smile before following the other woman.

He grabbed for her to pull her back into his arms, but she deliberately eluded him. Not faked then, and it was something she'd probably given a lot of thought to. Yes, definitely not the best time to be thinking about these things, but he would, soon.


	6. Chapter 6

The upstairs consisted of eight large rooms, each spacious enough to contain four beds, and another room that was designated the playroom. There were 20 children of adoptable age living at the school and another two graduates. All of the children were lined up in their respective rooms, military-style, beside their beds, except for Chaetl who was standing at a window looking out at nothing.

Rose squeezed his arm and left him to approach the boy.

"You won't get much of a response from him, I'm afraid, Mrs. Smith," Ms. Easchert cautioned, but Rose was undeterred.

She sat down immediately beside the boy. "Hi there. Chaetl, was it?"

"The 'ch' is softer, Rose. Almost like a D."

Ms. Easchert turned to him, "Your wife's name is Rose?"

He nodded.

"What a sweet expression, bringing her to the Lovers' Festival."

"That was the intent."

They briefly watched the one-sided conversation Rose was having with Chaetl.

"What's his story?" the Doctor asked.

"We don't really know. His parents were off-worlders. Vacationing, we believe. There was an accident and afterwards he was brought here. From what paperwork we could find in their belongings, we learned his name and placed his age at two years old, but he's always seemed small." She shrugged. "That was five years ago. He's never spoken a word."

Seven then, not terribly unexpected, considering. "He might look Human, Ms. Easchert, but he's Tarandi. They top out at about five feet tall, so he'll always seem small when compared to his human peers. He'll outlive them, too. If he takes good care of himself he could see," he blew through his teeth, "oh, 140, 150."

Ms. Easchert was staring at him in awe. "How do you know these things?"

"They don't call me the Doctor for nothing. Xenobiology is a bit of a hobby of mine." He itched to ask about Chaetl's telepathic abilities, but it was clear that Ms. Easchert knew nothing of it or the boy would have been seen to properly over the years. "Could we have a moment with him?"

It was obvious she was torn. "Of course," she said after a long pause, then shooed the other children out of the room ahead of her.

The Doctor waited for them to leave before approaching Rose and Chaetl. He sat down beside Rose and cupped her chin. "We'll talk later, yeah?"

She nodded, quickly turning her attention back to the little boy standing before them. "What's wrong with him, Doctor? He seems so..."

"Withdrawn. And I'm not surprised. Ms. Easchert says he came here at two years old. At that age, his parents were probably still teaching him how to protect himself. With their loss he's spent the last five years unable to cope with the sensory overload that surrounds him day in and day out."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's our telepath, Rose."

"This little boy knocked you unconscious?" she asked incredulously.

"Well-l-l, unintentionally, of course. He probably has no idea that he did it. His thoughts are a maelstrom, unfocused and unguarded. I walk around day-to-day with only my very basic walls up, I was not expecting a full-out telepathic assault on a planet not known for its telepathic residents."

Rose's hand closed around Chaetl's. "He seems so small and helpless."

And this was the crux of his problem. How much would Rose remember? How much would she suspect once he told her? "He's Tarandi, Rose, not Human. He'll be shorter than you his whole life."

"Tarandi," she said as though mulling over the name. Then, "Can you help him?"

"I can try. But I don't know how open to the idea he'll be."

"You have to try."

"I know."

She moved to get up, but the Doctor placed his hand on her knee. "I need you to stay, at least at first. He may become agitated and lash out mentally. I'll be better prepared for it than I was earlier, but just in case."

She smirked at him, but settled back down on the floor.

The Doctor focused his thoughts, shutting away everything except warm secure feelings and a desire to help. Finally, he placed his fingers on Chaetl's temples. "Hello, I'm the Doctor." An image of the small physician the Doctor had met on the street came forward. He was wearing a stethoscope and holding an auricle. "No, not that kind of doctor."

Another image came forward, this time a stern woman in a business suit holding a notepad. Oh, so they'd tried that route, too. "Not that kind of doctor either." The reaction was instantaneous as he was flooded with fear and frustration. "It's okay. Calm down. I understand. I'm alone, too. But you don't have to be - _we_ don't have to be alone."

From beside him, he heard a sound suspiciously like a strangled sob. _Rose._ He'd spoken out loud for her benefit, so that she would know what was happening, but hadn't given thought to how his words might affect her. But he couldn't turn back to her now, not after just getting Chaetl's attention.

Or maybe he could, he realized as Chaetl's thoughts turned to her. An image of Rose floated up in the boy's mind. She was biting her crooked finger to stop herself from crying. "Yes, that's Rose." In response, an image of the Arkytior was pushed towards him along with a question. "Arkytior," the Doctor stressed, gently pushing back an image of the fields in full bloom. "My old home."

The image of Rose appeared again this time with a question. "Her name is Rose Tyler. She's my new home."

An image of the Aelgis School loomed and the Doctor chuckled. "No. Like this." Slowly he sent Chaetl images of himself and Rose, picnicking on New Earth, laughing together as they walked along a Scottish road, them holding hands, sharing chips, and finally sitting together in front of this boy.

After a moment he got a slightly broken response in the same format, a series of pictures from Chaetl's mind. All of the children of the school sitting together in the dining hall, Aenen feeding both herself and Chaetl. The noise level was astonishing loud and it took a second for the Doctor to realize that it was what Chaetl was picking up telepathically from all of the other students. A classroom next, with ten children Chaetl's age sitting at desks while a teacher droned on at the front of the room. Chaetl standing off to the side staring out into the garden at his Arkytior bush. Again, the noise was overwhelming. And then finally, worst of all, the 20 children all in the playroom at once, their voices raising almost as loud as their minds.

"I can help you tune them out. I can teach you."

The image of the teacher appeared again, droning on and on in a voice that sounded like static to Chaetl's ears.

The Doctor laughed softly. "No, just like this. You and me."

The affirmative response he got was so energetic, so indicative of a normal seven year old that the Doctor couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Rose stood at the door to Chaetl's room and watched them. She'd gotten up, finally, when her entire lower body had fallen asleep and she was sure the Doctor's fears about Chaetl lashing out at him were ungrounded. That had been almost three hours ago.

Neither the Doctor nor Chaetl had moved in that time.

She'd missed lunch, but had gratefully accepted an invitation of tea with Ms. Easchert and Aenen, taking the opportunity to do a little more research about the Doctor's proposed beneficiary. It was a worthy cause, she'd decided. The children had needs that couldn't be met by a society that shunned them and, according to the Doctor, he had the means to provide for them. The idea had rolled around in her head that the children would be better if moved off-planet, but that had proven a very short-sighted solution. It would help these 20 - 22 if you counted the graduates, Aenen and a boy named Willes - but not any others who might come later.

Besides, thinking about ways to help the children had managed get her mind off the emotions that had been swirling inside of her since setting foot in this building. The Doctor had never expressly said that they couldn't have children together. Knowing him, he'd never even thought about it. In fact, his excuse to Ms. Easchert was that Rose was incapable, not that they were genetically incompatible. Though, that could have been so that he wouldn't have to admit they were two different species entirely. The whole thing had probably been a series of lies within lies to gain Ms. Easchert's trust. Either way, it had worked, despite how much it had hurt to hear.

And then there had been the love in his voice when he had described _her_ as home. Not the TARDIS, not Gallifrey, but her, Rose Tyler, former shop girl, a Human. Even if she hadn't already been on the verge of tears, that alone would have been enough to send her over.

And now, watching him talk Chaetl through a means of protecting himself that Rose had no hope of understanding, the urge to give that to him, permanently, was staggering. The boy even looked the part; with his pale skin, sandy blond hair, and deep brown eyes, he could easily pass as their child. Tarandi, the Doctor had said. Something about that registered as familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. They met so many different species, she might never remember anything specific about it.

As she watched, the Doctor released Chaetl's temples. The boy staggered at the loss and the Doctor immediately latched on to his arms to steady him. "I've got you."

There was a pause where the two of them just looked at each other and then Chaetl rushed forward and wrapped his arms around the Doctor's neck. The Doctor beamed over the little boy's shoulder, his gaze finding Rose where she stood and somehow managing to include her in this intimate moment.

She took a step forward and then another when the Doctor made no motion to stop her, eventually crossing the room to where they sat. "You've missed lunch and tea," she said, handing over the mug she'd been cradling for the last 20 minutes. "It's cool, but you're welcome to it."

The Doctor's eyes danced with the thrill of accomplishment and then a hint of amusement when he tasted the tea and realized that she'd offered him not her own mug but one that had been made for him. "It's good," he said after a moment. "Thanks."

With a touch, he got Chaetl's attention to offer him the mug. Rose watched as the boy shook his head, the most conversational interaction she'd seen him have with anyone since their arrival. She could tell that they were speaking to each other, but the Doctor had stopped speaking out loud. Eventually, Chaetl took the mug and sipped at it, reluctantly, exactly how Rose would expect a child who had been coerced would behave. The reluctance lasted only long enough for one swallow before he began gulping the tea down, both hands clutching the mug like a lifeline.

The Doctor laughed and eased the mug out of Chaetl's hands. "Slowly," he warned. He handed the mug back and Chaetl drank with more restraint. The Doctor looked at Rose. "They've been giving it to him black. They don't know he likes it sweet." He passed his hand over the back of the boy's head, gently, lovingly. "He didn't even know."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Of course he will."

Chaetl had finished the tea and looked at the Doctor as he lowered the mug.

"Yes, okay. He's hungry, Rose. Let's take him downstairs." His eyes unfocused again, but it lasted only an instant. "I'll ask."

He stood and took Chaetl's hand in one of his and Rose's in the other. It lasted only as far as the stairs, when Chaetl turned and lifted his arms to the Doctor. With an apologetic glance, the Doctor released her hand and gathered the boy up in his arms. Wasn't that _domestic_ , Rose thought fondly as she watched them descend the stairs together, Chaetl's head pillowed on the Doctor's shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

Rose followed the Doctor and Chaetl to the kitchen without saying a word. By the time they arrived there, they'd gathered a few stragglers behind them like the tail of a comet, children both older and younger than Chaetl who were astonished to see him interacting with anyone, but especially a stranger. Ms. Easchert and Aenen were pushing their way to the front of the crowd, admonishing the children to return to their classes or play.

"He's hungry," the Doctor said when the majority of the distraction had been cleared away. "He wants to know if you have more of that pasta dish from last night, the one with the seafood?"

Ms. Easchert could have wiped the floor with her jaw, but Aenen moved immediately to a refrigeration unit, pulled out a container of the pasta and started reheating it. The Doctor put Chaetl down at the small kitchen table, sitting beside him when the boy made a small noise of protest as he tried to move away.

"How --" Ms. Easchert was still trying to understand what was going on.

"Thank you, Aenen," the Doctor said, taking a small bowl from the girl. "And tea. Do you have some more tea?"

"Yes, sir."

"Two sugars, please." He held the bowl just outside of Chaetl's reach. "What do you say?"

There was a moment where nothing happened, and Rose could feel Ms. Easchert bristling with growing impatience. Chaetl shook his head, an obvious refusal. Then, another deliberate silence until finally, Chaetl turned to Aenen and croaked "thank you" in a voice rusty from disuse.

The girl gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

Ms. Easchert stumbled backwards into a chair, but Rose felt a rush of pride. The Doctor nodded and placed the bowl of pasta in front of Chaetl who tucked into it immediately. They all sat in silence as he ate until Aenen put a mug of tea on the table in front of the Doctor.

He thanked her and sipped at the tea before handing it to Chaetl.

"Oh, sir, he doesn't --"

Chaetl took the mug and drank deeply.

"He doesn't like black tea, that's right."

"How is all of this possible?" Ms. Easchert finally managed.

"Chaetl is a member of a telepathic species. He's been withdrawn all this time because of the noise level of everyone's thoughts. He couldn't filter them out. I taught him how to build mental walls to block out all of the extra sensory input."

"Telepathy? But that's impossible."

And, yep, there it was, the look that suggested Ms. Easchert had just dribbled on her shirt. "Yes, telepathy," he looked down at Chaetl and Rose watched his eyes unfocus.

The boy looked up at Ms. Easchert then moved his gaze from her to Rose. "Arkytior."

Rose fingered the flower in her hair, then pulled it out and handed it to Chaetl. He shook his head and pointed around the flower, directly at Rose. "Arkytior," he said again.

The Doctor looked up at Rose. He smiled sheepishly. "I may have confused him. Arkytior is my native language's word for rose," he explained to Ms. Easchert and Aenen. "In my thoughts, I don't always separate the two."

Chaetl touched his fingers to the Doctor's temple. A second passed and then Chaetl rattled off something in the only language Rose had never heard the TARDIS translate. The only word the three Humans in the room understood was 'Arkytior'.

"Hey, now!" the Doctor protested, dragging Chaetl's hand away from his head. His face was bright red. "That's private!"

Chaetl giggled and returned to his pasta.

"Doctor, what did he just say?" Emboldened by his sudden interest in his shoes, Rose stepped forward and cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. "Doctor?"

He looked up and blushed again. "Tell you later?"

Rose couldn't help herself. She laughed. "You bet you will."

"Sir, is he cured now?"

With a fortifying deep breath, the Doctor turned back to Aenen and Ms. Easchert. "He may never be 'cured' in the strictest sense of the word. The years that his parents would have been teaching him the basics of his abilities have been lost. It's like learning a second language, you'll always speak it with an accent. Except in Chaetl's situation, he may never truly master the ability to raise his walls as quickly as he would have otherwise. The telepathy itself may always be a second instinct rather than a first. Will he improve? Yes. Will he be able to integrate into society? Yes. Will it happen overnight? No. He's a very bright boy, but he'll need a teacher --" he paused and looked down at Chaetl who had put his hand on top of the Doctor's. "Much better, bravo. Just like that." He looked at Ms. Easchert. "And what sort of mindless drone did you get to teach geography to these kids? He's terrible. I know there's a certain measure of beggars not being able to be choosy, but this guy is really awful."

Aenen nodded in understanding. "Mr. Elgard." She had the look of someone who had made the exact same suggestion multiple times and who was grateful for an outsider confirming her opinions.

"Which brings me back to another point," the Doctor continued. "We talked about a donation. In the interest of fairness, I would like to speak to the headmaster before moving forward, but I see no reason to pull him back from his vacation. That said, my wife and I will stay nearby. I can take over Chaetl's education until it is time for us to leave."

A noise had them all turning to Chaetl, whose hand was again resting on the Doctor's. This time it was much longer before the Doctor's attention focused outward again.

"Rose, I think now would be a good time for us to go home."

* * *

He deflected Ms. Easchert's questions about Chaetl; typical, the woman had suddenly decided to be loquacious now that they were leaving. "We'll be back in the morning," he said as he guided Rose out of the kitchen.

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave all of a sudden?" Rose asked as they stepped out onto the street.

Because apparently his flight response was still perfectly healthy, that's why. Though, he couldn't tell her that, his Arkytior, not after everything he'd done over the last few weeks to try to overcome it, and not after Chaetl had so rudely plucked that particular string of High Gallifreyan from his mind.

"Doctor," she said, stopping when his silence stretched too long. "I know that look. Don't shut me out."

He rubbed the back of his neck. _Because, Rose Tyler, that little boy wants the same thing from me that you do, and I'm not sure I'm strong enough to offer forever to_ one _member of a short-lived species, much less_ two. But when he opened his mouth, those weren't the words that came out. "Big day tomorrow, yeah? Need to get some rest."

He saw the disappointment in her eyes, knew that she knew he'd dodged - oh, all right - lied to her. When had this pink and yellow Human learned to read him so well? "Rose --"

"No, it's all right if you don't want to tell me," she said, pushing away his attempts to touch her. She started off again in the direction of the TARDIS, leaving him standing on the sidewalk alone.

This was definitely _not_ how this trip was supposed to go. Their second anniversary and he'd hoped to deepen their level of intimacy. Instead he'd passed out, lied to all and sundry about their marital status, and discovered a lonely little boy who had, moments ago, asked to be adopted.

A little boy they had met almost four months earlier, already an old man awaiting death. This was why he hated knowing anything about his future.

At least he now knew the answer to the question of his and Rose's compatibility. Chaetl - the old man, not the boy - had clearly mentioned his adoptive parents' children. As for the other, he'd suspected for a while now that after the incident with the Time Vortex Rose had stopped aging as she should. Of course, it was too soon for her to notice, but how old would she have to be before she realized her barely 20-year-old body had not kept pace with her calendar age? It was yet another thing he was keeping from her.

Several yards ahead of him, Rose was still storming away. Hurrying after her, he caught up to her easily and slipped his hand into hers, fighting and winning when she tried to pull away from him.

They approached the TARDIS together and he refused to let her go once they were inside. "We need to talk."

"You don't have to tell me anything, Doctor. Keep your secrets." Again she tried to pull away from him and again he used his greater strength to stop her.

"I brought you here because I wanted this place, this time, to be special for us, Rose. But it seems like I've done nothing but trip over myself today. Lying to you just now was not one of my best ideas, I'll admit that, but I'm struggling with a lot right now and I've got over 900 years experience keeping those kinds of things to myself. You've been my best friend for two years and my --" he grimaced. "For the record, I hate the word 'girlfriend'; remind me later to invent a better word - my girlf-- my... _mine_ for only a few weeks. I trust you, but it's like - it's like learning a second language, it may never come naturally to me to share everything with you."

She placed a hand on his chest, right between his hearts, then stood on her toes to place a small kiss on his cheek. "There, was that so hard?"

He gathered her close. "You have no idea," he sighed.

Rose chuckled as she snuggled closer to him. "Since I've got you in such an honest mood, what was it Chaetl said that turned you such a delicious shade of red?"

He felt himself flush again just thinking about it; he couldn't imagine what saying those words out loud would do to him. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer for that answer. I have some things that I need to do first. Can I come to your room later?"

Her eyes widened and he suddenly realized she'd guessed his reasons for avoiding her room these last few weeks. He backpedaled quickly. "Or the library, we can meet in the library."

"No, it's okay. My room is okay."

"Rose, if you don't --"

She kissed him again, this time on the lips, lingering long enough for the kiss itself to become a promise. "You do whatever you need to do. I'll be waiting for you."


	8. Chapter 8

It was an hour later before he finished everything. The research he'd needed to do regarding their compatibility was finally done, which meant he was due for a trip to the infirmary before his and Rose's relationship went any further. He'd set the TARDIS on the task of determining the probability of Rose's adjusted physiology and what she might be able to expect in terms of increased lifespan. And, finally, a quick check had verified that his various bank accounts were still steadily gaining interest, as some of them had been doing for several hundred years. Regardless of how much money the school needed, it wouldn't be a problem.

After a few detours, first to the infirmary and then to his room to change, he was finally knocking on her door.

"Come in."

After that last kiss, he had expected the arousal, had even expected the tinge of nervousness that tainted it, but the rush of emotions pouring off of Rose when he entered her room was staggering. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, her hands pressed between her knees. He supposed he was lucky she was wearing clothes at all, even if it was a skimpy two-piece silk pyjama set.

The scent of arousal in the air only increased as she ran her eyes over him, taking in the plain t-shirt and pyjama trousers he was wearing, such a departure from his normal pinstripes. She'd bathed in the time he'd given her, adding the smell of roses to the smell of Rose that permeated the room. It affected him so strongly that he actually had to remind himself that his arousal was a voluntary mechanism.

Honesty. He was here for honesty. He sat down beside her and loosened her hands from between her knees, taking them in his own. "Rose, I want to, but we can't. Not tonight, probably not until we leave this planet. It's been... a very long time for me - centuries, in fact - and I can't guarantee that I'm going to be in control of myself enough to prevent Chaetl from getting a very inappropriate education."

"Oh. I thought - I mean..." He could feel her already withdrawing from him.

He cupped her face. "One of the things I needed to do just now was check our compatibility. After that conversation with Ms. Easchert, I thought you might want... maybe not right away, but some day. And we are, Rose - compatible, I mean. Completely." He lifted up the sleeve of his t-shirt to show her the red welt under his arm that was already starting to heal. "I don't have to produce active sperm if I choose not to, so this is just a back-up, but I thought it would be good to be cautious. Like I said, it's been a while, I might get overexcited and forget to turn it off. And this needs 24 hours before it's fully effective. So, that's another reason to wait. When you decide - _if_ you decide one day that you want children I can remove it. If you want them with me, that is."

She was leaning forward now, his words having convinced her that he wasn't just brushing her off, but she didn't stop with just a kiss and before he knew what was happening, the Doctor found himself lying flat on Rose's bed with a very determined pink and yellow Human astride his hips.

Voluntary. Yeah, right. Unless said Time Lord was doused in a mixture of his chosen mate's pheromones and the scent of her arousal and then thrust - Rassilon, no, don't thrust; poor choice of words - into a very compromising position with said chosen mate. He didn't thrust. He rolled his hips beneath her, his hands resting on her hips to steady her as heat radiated from her core against his straining erection.

Her moan was long and drawn out, equally matching another sound he heard but hardly recognized as his own. It was the feeling of her hot Human hands on his bare stomach that dragged him out of it.

_Voluntary_ , adjective. (1) of one's own accord or by free choice; (2) subject to or controlled by the will. Synonyms: purposeful, planned, intended.

Then she ground her hips against him, leaning forward to capture his lips with hers and he was lost again.

_Lover_ , noun. A person who has a sexual or romantic relationship with another. Synonyms: sweetheart, significant other, beloved. Plus one, companion, best friend. Partner, spouse. Mate.

"Rose!"

She'd managed to get his shirt off of him, but he couldn't even remember removing his hands from her hips. And she was doing that thing with her tongue and her teeth, the one that drove him mad on a normal day, but that today, in this moment, brought him to the brink of something terrifying. Her hands left his body to grasp the hem of her top and he took advantage of her sudden unbalance to roll her beneath him.

And for a time he completely forgot that this was not what he'd planned all along. Now, he did thrust against her, over and over, mimicking the sex act and bathing in the sweetness of her cries of pleasure. Her skin was so soft and hot, the silk she wore so cool, and he was lost in the friction he was creating between them. Was that noise, that rhythmic grunting, coming from him?

He adjusted her body, drawing her right leg up to offer him better access, and accidentally bumped her knee against the sore spot beneath his left arm. A flash of pain washed away the haze of lust - love? desire? - and he was finally able to bring himself back under control.

Voluntary. Pfft. He could write a textbook exclusively on what had occurred in the last few minutes. Just as soon as his head stopped spinning.

She was speaking almost before he collapsed on the bed beside her. "So what's a typical Time Lord refractory period, then, anyway?"

"What?" Then he realized what she was insinuating. "I didn't!"

She laughed and sat up so that she could look at him. One long finger poked him in the chest. "You did, and you know it, so you may as well admit it. I'm not upset, I just want to know how long I have to wait."

He propped himself up on his side as well and pulled her close to him. "I told you we can't. Not tonight. I even gave you several very valid and honest reasons why we couldn't. One of which you just proved perfectly. Since you don't know, typically the physical reaction which accompanies arousal is a voluntary mechanism. A purely voluntary mechanism. But you, Rose Tyler, are a wanton minx. And I... I want you more than you could possibly ever imagine. You did all of that to me, made me completely lose control over my own body, overrode my own mind. And in case you've forgotten, that is not an insubstantial achievement. I'd commend you except for the fact that I'm still in shock and, frankly, a bit scared. But I did not, as you have so rudely suggested, just prematurely ejaculate."

"Yes." Poke. "You." Poke. "Did." Poke.

She didn't believe him. He grabbed her hand from his chest and dragged it down to his now soft member. He didn't even give her a chance to explore before he flipped the metaphoric switch inside of himself to activate his physical response. Within seconds he was completely hard, though something inside of him suggested maybe not quite as much as when she had been atop him. He let her explore now, reclining back on the bed as she tested his length and girth through the soft cotton jim jams. Then, once she had satisfied her curiosity as well as she could without baring his skin, he flipped the switch again, and allowed himself to soften.

Her eyes met his long enough for him to see that she understood, but then he was distracted by her pursed lips and - Rassilon - the things he suddenly wanted to do to them, with them. Kissing her was first on the list, so he indulged himself. Drawing away from her, he saw Rose smirk and somehow knew what mischief she had just conjured.

"I am never going to live this down, am I?"

Her eyes sparkled as she shook her head. "Nope," she said, popping the 'p' deliberately. Once again he slanted his mouth over hers, covering the great grin she was wearing as he pushed her back onto the bed.

He slipped a hand underneath her top to land at her hot waist. It was a camisole top with tiny spaghetti straps and the way Rose was lying had shifted her breasts up so that they were barely covered by the triangle-shaped neckline. He kissed her, just _ther_ e where her cleavage started. "Rose, may I?" he asked as his fingers teased at the waistband of her shorts.

Her breath was instantly uneven. "If you stop again, you'll regenerate, do you understand me?"

He met her hooded gaze. "Rose, I want to do this for you, but that's as far as it can go. I don't trust myself, especially not after what just happened."

Rose nodded, though he could tell she wasn't at all thrilled that he planned to hold back. He waited, his long fingers dipping beneath the waistband of her shorts, but he knew that no matter how much time he gave her, she would never change her mind.

He brought his other hand to her waist and gripped both sides of her shorts. Just as he was about to pull them down over her hips she spoke. "I love you."

He'd known for ages, had suspected back when he'd worn leather, but to hear those words fall from her lips in just that sequence and with just that cadence, the emphasis building with each word, seared those three little words onto his hearts.

"Oh, Rose."

Her eyes closed. "It's okay. I don't expect - I mean, you don't have to --"

"Rose," he said, brushing his fingers across her cheek. "Look at me." Her eyes fluttered open and the hint of unshed tears in them caused the words to flow out of him without restraint. He could tell that she recognized it as the same thing Chaetl had pulled from his mind, even though he was sure the TARDIS had not taken to translating High Gallifreyan for her.

"Doctor..."

"Do you know why I call you Arkytior?"

"Means rose."

"It's more than just that." Finally he eased her shorts down over her hips, smoothing the palms of his hands along her legs as he pushed the silk down to her toes. He placed a kiss on the outside of her leg, just below her knee. "Each word in High Gallifreyan has multiple meanings depending on several factors, the inflection used, its place in the phrase, the words that surround it, modify it." He dropped her shorts over the edge of the bed and returned his hands to her legs.

"Arkytior is a species of rose that grew on the southern mountain range, near my home. As you know, they were - are - a slightly telepathic flower. But what you don't know is that the entire strain is incredibly hearty, it grew up among the rocks, triumphed over every adverse condition and situation thrown at it. And in spite of that, perhaps because of it, it managed to be beautiful and unassuming at the same time." A kiss to the inside of her ankle as he very slowly began parting her legs.

"But, most importantly, it's pink and yellow and smells like home, Rose Tyler, just like you."

He began kissing up the inside of her leg, alternating his kisses with words. "English is such an inefficient medium, but if I were to translate the entire phrase for you, I would start with 'my Rose.'" Another kiss, this time just above her knee on the soft skin of her thigh. "But even the word 'my' has more meaning than Humans give it. For a Time Lord to speak in the possessive that way, when taken in the context of the whole phrase, the word 'my' means the Doctor, a Time Lord of the house of Lungbarrow, in all incarnations both past and future."

He had finally reached the apex of her thighs and he used a finger to trace the outline of her sex. Beneath him, Rose bucked at the intimate touch.

"The second part is where it starts to get complicated. 'My' again, with all of the same meaning as before, but this time with the word 'everything'. Now, another Gallifreyan would know about Arkytior and their proximity to Lungbarrow. So, building from the first part, 'everything' is presumed to include 'home.'" He slipped one finger into her heat, almost losing his concentration as his name fell from her lips like a prayer.

"But you are obviously neither a delicate flower nor a four-walled permanent structure. Knowing that I'm speaking about a sentient being, the word 'everything' becomes decidedly more personal. It is a euphemism, if you will, for 'soul'. Of course, I already have a soul, so the implication is that your soul is its twin, its other half."

A second finger joined the first and Rose's hips lifted from the bed as he began slowly pumping them in and out of her. "Doctor..."

"Shhh. I'm not done yet. The third and final part is the most difficult to translate, because Humans don't have a word for it. Once again, 'my,' and then the closest approximation is 'forever'. But 'forever' is paltry for a pan-dimensional species that commands all of space and time. So, once more building from the middle part, it really means that my soul searched for yours from the beginning of my existence and that I will never be at home without it."

She cried out as he increased the rhythm of his fingers. He leaned over her as he began teasing the tiny bundle of nerves above her opening with his thumb. "So, in its entirety, it means, 'My beautiful Rose, who lends me her strength, my haven, my soul-mate, for all of eternity, and without whom I will never be complete.'"

He watched as she fell apart, straining against the bed and grasping for him, her shouts of pleasure echoing throughout the small room. He extended her climax as long as he could, until her cries were only broken gasps interrupted by the occasional sob.

When he felt her muscles stop twitching, he slipped his fingers from her, automatically bringing them to his mouth so that he could taste her as well. He lay back down on the bed beside her and Rose curled her body against his. He could feel her eyes on him as he licked his fingers clean. When he was done, he wrapped his arm around her waist and breathed deeply of the smell of sated Human.

His Human. Because sometime between her declaration of love and the Gallifreyan grammar lesson he'd just given her, his flight response had finally died.

"Okay," she muttered into his chest. "You're forgiven."

He smiled and placed a kiss in her hair. "Do you understand now why I have such a hard time with three English words?"

She nodded, and he could feel her body slipping into the first stage of sleep. "Don't ever doubt that I love you, Rose Tyler."

It was not long after Rose fell asleep that he allowed himself to follow her. He was awakened a few hours later by something he'd never thought he'd hear again, the sound of someone screaming in his mind.

He was fully awake in an instant and hurrying from Rose's room. The console room was dimmed to save energy and he had a brief flash of exactly how _domestic_ this was. Roused from his lover's bed in the middle of the night, half naked, his bare feet slapping on the grating, to calm a screaming child. His ninth self would have had an apoplexy, but he only felt a sense of rightness.

He set the coordinates and started the shift. "Quietly, girl," he said as he stroked the console. "We don't want to wake the whole neighborhood."

When she told him that they had landed, he opened the doors and was immediately ambushed by a small distressed Tarandi. He gathered Chaetl into his arms and placed one hand on the TARDIS door. "Help her find me."


	9. Chapter 9

Rose woke and was completely unsurprised to find herself alone. The side of the bed where the Doctor had been was cold, but reminding herself that he required very little sleep did not console her at all. The sheets and pillow smelled like him, though, which did. A little.

After a few minutes she pulled herself from the bed to locate her shorts where the Doctor had dropped them the night before. She found them on top of his t-shirt, and if she still had that, maybe he hadn't gone far.

Dressing quickly, Rose noticed for the first time that her bedroom door was open and the lights just outside of it were blinking off and on. Stepping into the corridor, she saw that the lights weren't just blinking, they were blinking in sequence very similar to a landing strip. Directing her towards the control room.

Of course that's where he'd be. She combed her hair with her fingers as she walked, trying for some semblance of respectability before seeing him again. "Good morning," she said as she entered the room, then noticed that the control room was empty.

The blinking lights were over the doors now. He was outside? Why? She looked down at herself and wondered if people attending the Lovers' Festival would be shocked to see her running around in her pyjamas.

He was probably standing right outside. Well, it couldn't hurt to check, right? Just for a second.

She cracked open the door and saw that he'd moved the TARDIS during the night. They were indoors and she recognized the room as Chaetl's. Opening the door fully she looked around the room. The Doctor was stretched out on one of the small beds, his feet hanging off the edge. His eyes were closed, his hair tousled - though, honestly, there were days he walked around like that - and curled up on his bare chest was Chaetl, the Doctor's arms wrapped protectively around him.

Rose knew she hadn't made a noise, but the Doctor's eyes opened and found her. The warmth she saw there spoke volumes. He regretted not being there when she woke. "Good morning," he whispered.

She walked up to him and nuzzled his cheek. "Did I wake you?"

"No."

"I love you."

He hummed contentedly.

Rose looked down at Chaetl. He seemed even smaller in sleep than he did when awake, especially when comparing his small frame to the Doctor's. "Bad dream?"

"Yeah. He woke me from three blocks away. Imagine if I'd still had my walls down."

"I'd rather not, thank you."

Chaetl shifted in his sleep, turning his face towards Rose. Instinctively, she reached out and touched a lock of his hair. "He looks..."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her as her words trailed off, and the memory of the conversation they'd had the night before gave her the strength to continue.

"I mean, he could be ours. He looks so much like a mixture of us."

"Rose, he --"

"Rise and shine, Chaetl - oh! Sir!"

Rose and the Doctor both looked up at a blushing Aenen standing frozen in the doorway, trying desperately to look anywhere except at the Doctor's bare chest. Chaetl's only response was to shift again and grunt in his sleep. Rose giggled and patted his small head. "Pass him to me, Doctor, and you go make yourself presentable."

They managed the transfer without waking Chaetl, and Rose sat on the bed with him as the Doctor hurried into the TARDIS.

Aenen finally entered the room, her eyes fixed on the TARDIS. "What..."

Rose chuckled. "It's our ship. Our little boy here had a nightmare last night. We came so the Doctor could comfort him."

The girl shifted her attention to Rose. Or rather to Chaetl and Rose. The speculative gleam in her eyes only confirmed what Rose had just mentioned to the Doctor. "You're very good with him, Mrs. Smith."

Oh, yes. She'd almost forgotten. Here she was Rose Smith-Tyler, wife of Dr. John Smith. It felt like less of a lie today. The Doctor was not the kind of man to lightly say and do the kinds of things that had passed between them last night.

Dimly, she noticed that Aenen was still talking. "Ms. Easchert says you and Dr. Smith don't have any children of your own."

It both was and wasn't a question, and coming so close on the heels of Aenen's seemingly casual comment about Chaetl, Rose easily read more into it than what appeared on the surface.

"No. There's always hope, though. You didn't see him in here with Chaetl yesterday. He needs that connection with someone; I'd like to be able to give him that."

The other children were stirring, the noise level in the building slowly increasing as they dressed and ablutions were performed.

"Should we wake him?"

"If you want, Mrs. Smith. It's okay if he sleeps a while longer."

But Rose knew how important schedules were to little ones. "Chaetl," she said, shaking his shoulder gently. He grumbled, but woke after only a minute or two of prodding. He sat up and scanned the room, whimpering softly when he couldn't find the person he sought. "He's coming back, Chaetl. He went to get dressed, and you should, too."

Aenen came forward then and made to take Chaetl's hand, but the little boy pulled away from her.

"I'll do it, Aenen," Rose offered. "I'm sure you have other duties you could be attending to."

It was obvious Chaetl's rejection had hurt her, but Aenen only nodded and left the room.

Rose waited until the girl had left. "Chaetl," she said firmly, "that was rude."

He grunted obstinately.

"No you don't, Mister. I know you can speak."

He glared at her.

"I can wait just as long as you can. And you're the one who will miss breakfast." Rose crossed her arms over her chest.

A brief staring contest ensued until finally Chaetl spoke. "Doctor."

Rose tried not to let her pride at this minor victory show in her face. "I told you: he's coming. He went to get dressed. You need to get dressed, too. And then you need to apologize to Aenen."

"Doctor," he said again.

"After you get dressed and apologize to Aenen."

A scowl passed over his features then his eyes unfocused and Rose realized he was speaking to the Doctor. After a moment his eyes cleared and Chaetl reluctantly climbed down from the bed. He slipped his hand into Rose's and tugged her up as well. Then he guided her to a small dresser against the wall opposite his bed. He methodically opened and closed drawers, handing her piece after piece of a functional set of clothes very similar to what he'd been wearing the day before.

She had him mostly dressed before she heard the sound of the TARDIS door opening. Chaetl moved towards the blue box, but stopped short at what Rose could only imagine was the Doctor's mental admonishment.

* * *

The Doctor watched as Chaetl grudgingly allowed Rose to finish dressing him. The boy had changed so much already; seeking him out telepathically after a nightmare was almost a reflex, but doing so again this morning to countermand Rose's instructions was a huge improvement, developmentally speaking only, of course. His mental voice was strengthening every time he used it and his self-confidence was growing along with it.

He could see it already, the beginnings of the man Chaetl would become and how his brief presence in the boy's life had helped shape certain elements. He could also sense the timelines swirling around the boy, where he'd been and all of the places he could go. The temptation to dip into them and explore was strong, but he resisted. Somewhere among those strands was the old man who'd greeted them with tea and biscuits, and yet nothing about the boy in the present day tugged at him the way a fixed point should.

Rose was finished dressing Chaetl so he turned his attention outward. He stretched out his hand to Chaetl who took it immediately. "You go get yourself dressed," he said to Rose. "I'll take him down to breakfast."

"Okay." But she stopped him with nothing more than a hand on his sleeve as he went to move past her.

His Arkytior. Now that he had finally given in, a part of him was counting down the seconds until he could be with her fully. Twelve more hours until the contraceptive implant was fully functional, at least another twenty after that until they were safely away from Eridan.

Chaetl tugged on his arm and he sent the boy an admonishment to be patient. "Yes?"

After only the tiniest hesitation, Rose stretched and placed a kiss on his cheek, smiling shyly as she moved away.

"What was that for?"

She shrugged. "Because I can, I guess."

Without warning, the Doctor wrapped his free arm around Rose's waist and pulled her close to him, covering her lips with his own. He could feel the corners of her mouth turn upward, then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Between Chaetl's complaints about his stomach and his own time sense telling him that they were going to be late for breakfast, the Doctor eased back on the kiss. Rose wobbled a bit on her feet when he released her, then smacked him playfully for smirking about it.

"I'll save you some breakfast."

"Thanks. Oh, and not one bite for him until he apologizes to Aenen."

It was on the tip of his tongue to blithely comment that Chaetl had come by his rudeness honestly when the Doctor remembered that the boy was not actually his child. He'd met many orphaned children during his travels, even occasionally ones that were telepathic, but never had he allowed himself to become so attached to one that he would even come close to making such a slip. And yet over the course of less than one day, he'd become remarkably comfortable in the role after centuries of thinking he would never be a father again. It was Rose, he knew, and his budding relationship with her that had opened his mind to the possibility.

He looked down at Chaetl's scowling face. "You heard --" _your mother_ , his mind supplied helpfully, "-- Rose."

Rose nodded, confident that the matter was settled and that her instructions would be obeyed, and went into the TARDIS. The Doctor lead Chaetl downstairs where many of the children were already finishing up their breakfast.

"Good morning, Aenen," he said when he saw the girl assisting some of the younger children wash and put away their dishes. "I understand Chaetl has something to say to you."

"It's all right, Dr. Smith, he was still sleepy, I understand."

"Sleepy or not, that's no excuse for rudeness." Aenen smirked at him and the Doctor was reminded of his conversation with her the previous day."I apologized," he added defensively. Squeezing Chaetl's hand, he waited for the boy to speak.

"Sorry, Aenen," he said with barely a pause, squeaking the toe of his shoe against the floor.

Aenen dropped to her knees before him and swept him into a huge hug. "Thank you, Chaetl." Then she pulled back a bit and looked him in the eyes. "And I am so happy for you. Now, go get yourself some breakfast before there's none left."

The Doctor nodded when Chaetl looked up at him for permission. He then bounded off to the sideboard to serve himself.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Aenen stood, "It's amazing how much you've been able to do with him."

"Well, like I said, he's a bright boy and I'm very very good."


	10. Chapter 10

"She's very good with him," Ms. Easchert observed, coming up beside the Doctor. Together, the two watched from the window as Rose and Chaetl walked through the back garden.

Chaetl was definitely warming to Rose, lighting up as soon as she'd joined them downstairs despite the minor tussle they'd had. Then, no sooner had she finished eating breakfast when he grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

They slowed to examine the Arkytior bush and Chaetl placed his hand on Rose's as though initiating a telepathic connection. Rose smiled gently and covered his hand with her own to still him before verbally explaining that she couldn't communicate that way. He seemed surprised, but started slowly speaking instead.

Ms. Easchert inhaled sharply.

The Doctor looked down at the woman, finally acknowledging her comment. "She's brilliant."

"We tried for so long, so many different things," she said, and he could hear the catch of tears in her voice. "I keep thinking that I should have done more."

"It's not your fault, you know. There's no way you could have known. What matters is that he is healthy and will eventually recover. There's not much more you can ask for." The Doctor watched Rose and Chaetl in the garden for a moment longer before turning away from the window. "I did promise to take Rose to the festival. Would you mind if we took Chaetl along with us? It might be good to expose him to a more social situation."

Even without the assistance of his telepathy, the Doctor could feel the expectation and speculation that suddenly flowed off of Ms. Easchert in waves. "Of course, Dr. Smith. I think that is an excellent idea."

All of the other children were having their lessons when Rose and the Doctor left Aelgis hand-in-hand with Chaetl an hour later. The boy was beside himself with excitement. Though he'd lived on Eridan for most of his life, he'd never actually attended the Lovers' Festival.

Most of the city was blanketed in roses, and it took the trio no time at all to find a path that took them directly to the center of the city and the heart of the action. Chaetl stopped dead in his tracks when they entered the designated fairgrounds.

The Doctor squatted beside him. "What's wrong? Is it too loud?" he asked, already reaching for Chaetl's temple.

The boy shook his head, looking around at the carnival games and rides with what the Doctor now saw was awe. His outstretched hand landed on Chaetl's shoulder and he stood again, twining the fingers of his other hand with Rose's.

"Why don't we start over there?" The Doctor pointed at a large tent that people were streaming into.

It wasn't until they'd ducked into the tent that they realized why it was so popular. Seating inside was divided into two distinct sections with a central focus at the other end of an aisle that ran the length of the tent. Bouquets of roses were everywhere in both red and white varieties. Well-dressed people milled and chatted, but seemed to be as divided as the seating.

"Are you with the bride or the groom?" a voice asked from their left.

Realizing that they were intruding, the Doctor and Rose were already turning to go back the way they'd come.

"Neither, actually. We didn't realize this was a private tent."

"It's no trouble," the usher replied. "You're off-worlders, aren't you?"

Rose laughed. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little." He smiled. "Would you like to join us?"

"Oh, we couldn't. I mean, this is --"

"It's no trouble. It's actually considered a bit of an honor."

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance before looking down at Chaetl, who nodded in response to the question the Doctor asked him silently. Looking over the seating arrangements, the Doctor nodded at the groom's side, noting it was more sparsely populated than the bride's. "Over there, if you don't mind."

There were plenty of chairs, but Chaetl sat on Rose's lap to get a better view. Not long after they were seated, a trumpet fanfare sounded and the other guests began finding their seats as well. As soon as the noise level had dropped, the back flap of the tent opened and the groom entered.

He was a large man, maybe as big as the Doctor and Rose combined... and then _doubled_. But he was handsome amidst all of those chins, and beaming as he waddled down the aisle to stand next to an officiant in flowing white robes who had appeared while everyone's attention was diverted.

After a few more minutes to let the anticipation build, the tent flaps opened again and a young girl walked in carrying a basket of rose petals. Everything was lovely until she was about halfway up the aisle and the groom farted.

Mortified, he looked at the guests apologetically, but the Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance and nearly burst out laughing.

The flower girl reached the end of the aisle and moved off to one side. The groom farted again.

"Sorry," he chuckled nervously. "Nerves."

The Doctor looked down at Rose, one eyebrow raised.

But it happened again just before the tent flaps were opened to admit the bride and then again when she joined him at the front of the congregation.

By now the Doctor was having trouble sitting still. "He's a Raxacoricofallapatorian, I just know it, Rose," he whispered.

"Maybe he had curry for breakfast, Doctor," she hissed back. "It doesn't mean anything."

"But don't you smell it? Calcium decay."

"You're imagining things."

"This nose is very sensitive, Rose."

"Not as 'sensitive' as your last one. Besides, don't you think she'd know if she was marrying a Raxacoricofallapatorian?"

"Was that a slight against the size of my nose, Rose Tyler?" But then his eyes widened. "I would hope she knows. I mean, I'm sure she does. He'd have told her, right? He wouldn't just marry her and not tell her. But if she knows, why is he in disguise today? Why not marry her as himself?"

"Maybe her family doesn't know. Maybe there's some law about interspecies marriages. It could be anything, Doctor."

"Someone should make sure she knows."

"You stay out of this."

In that moment the officiant's voice raised to address everyone. "If anyone can show just cause why this couple cannot be legally joined in marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

"I'm going to do it."

"Doctor, don't you dare."

"But Roooose, what if she doesn't know? Don't you think she should know?"

"Do you Eytan take --"

"Sorry, yes, hello. Excuse me. Or should I say 'I object'? I was never very clear on that point, are the words themselves strictly necessary?" The Doctor was standing before Rose could do anything to stop him, waving genially at the couple at the altar. Rose could almost imagine the 'harmless' smile he was offering the congregation that had turned to face him. "Lovely day for a wedding, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry, sir --"

"The Doctor." He looked down at Rose and Chaetl, and for just a moment his face filled with pride. "Dr. John Smith, that is."

"Can I help you, Dr. Smith?" The officiant gestured at the couple standing before him. "We are in the middle of something."

"Yes." He clapped his hands together. "I just wanted to have a word with... uh... the bride..."

"Sadi," the bride said with a healthy dose of annoyance. The groom leaned closer to her and whispered something that looked to be along the lines of _Do you know this guy?_ and the bride shook her head emphatically.

The Doctor made his way down the row, careful not to step on anyone's toes literally, since he was already doing so figuratively, and stumbled out into the aisle. "Sadi, right. Yes. And the groom, of course. Before the ceremony continues."

The Doctor herded Sadi and Eytan over to one side of the tent. "Yes, Eytan, quick question for you. You wouldn't happen to have originated from a little planet called Raxacoricofallapatorius, by any chance, would you?

The groom paled. "How could you possibly..."

"Had a bit of a run-in with the Slitheen family about eighteen months ago. They were using similar technology."

He grabbed at his neck where the collar hid that had compressed him into this form. "If you've come to arrest me, Dr. Smith, I'll have you know I'm nothing like them, not even distantly related."

"Ohh, no, no, no, no, no, nothing like that. I just wanted to make sure everything here was on the up-and-up, you know." He looked pointedly at Sadi.

"Eyt? What's he talking about?"

The groom swallowed hard, his hand once again moving to his neck. "I love you, Sadi. And I could have lived my whole life happy, by your side."

He reached up and unzipped his forehead.

The entire congregation gasped as shining light emanated from his neck, and a moment later his upper body was that of a large green-skinned alien.

Sadi stood trembling, one hand covering her mouth. "What -- Eyt?"

"Yes." His shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. I should have told you."

"Sadi, get away from that thing right this instant."

But the bride took a step closer. "Are you really you in there?"

"I'm still me. The packaging is the only thing that's changed."

The Doctor looked over his shoulder and met Rose's gaze.

* * *

Rose smiled at the memory the couple's words invoked, but then lowered her face until her forehead rested on Chaetl's shoulder as soon as the Doctor turned away. The little boy turned to sit across her lap, putting his feet on the chair the Doctor had vacated. Then he reached out to touch her hand, but stopped halfway and spoke instead. "Why did he get involved?"

"Because he's rude." She sighed in exasperation but then reconsidered. "He thinks he's helping. It's what he does."

"I don't care, I love him!" The bride's voice rang out, and Rose looked up again to see an older woman in a pale lavender dress pulling on her arm.

The smile slid off of the Doctor's face when the older woman rounded on him.

"This is your fault."

"My fault? How is it my fault your daughter fell in love with a Raxacoricofallapatorian?"

Rose whispered into Chaetl's ear. "And this is usually the moment I have to swoop in and rescue him." She stood, lifting Chaetl onto her hip while mentally thanking whatever trick of genetics made him smaller and lighter than an average seven year old.

They'd just stepped into the aisle when the Doctor began backing down it.

"... set to marry the most successful banker in the entire _system_ and you had to come in and ruin it." The bride's mother had been joined by a few others as they stalked the Doctor down the aisle.

"It's not like they just decided to get married today. The whole time they were together not one of you noticed something was a bit odd?"

"Or sometimes, it's just better to run." Rose said, situating them near the tent flaps as they waited for the Doctor to join them. She put Chaetl down, thinking it might be better if he could run by himself rather than her struggling to carry him and keep up.

The Doctor joined them, still trying to placate the bride's mother. He looked down at Rose and Chaetl then back at what had become a small mob. "There's nothing for it," he said, taking Chaetl's hand. "Run."

Rose let out a whoop and Chaetl's face exploded into a grin. Together the three of them burst out of the tent, moving as fast as they could. The Doctor weaved them through the crowd, trying his best to avoid running into any people or stalls. After several minutes, they'd left the wedding guests behind and were able to duck down an alley to catch their breath.

Chaetl was still smiling broadly, barely winded from the exertion, Rose felt like she was on the verge of hysterical laughter, but the Doctor just looked put out.

Lifting Chaetl onto his hip, he turned back towards the fairgrounds.

"Where are you going?"

"I promised to take the two of you to the festival." Rose tried not to giggle as he wrapped his hand around hers to pull her along with him.


	11. Chapter 11

When they returned to the fairgrounds, the Doctor let Chaetl's wide eyes guide them around. They spent hours hopping from carnival game to carnival game, food booth to food booth, and riding every ride that the Doctor deemed safe for someone of Chaetl's height. They wandered through an art exhibit and a topiary contest, laughing uproariously at some of the more outlandish designs, and then stopped for a while during the hottest part of the day to listen to a few bands perform.

But though the festival was family friendly, ultimately its focus was on couples and as midday turned into early evening it became harder and harder to find anything to do that would interest a seven year old. Lectures on the history of the rose and its various varieties were passed up, offers of couples massages, romantic dinners, and glasses of rose wine -- _"Not just rosé, Rose, but actual wine made from roses. Brilliant!"_ \-- were politely declined, and the decision was made to head back to Aelgis just as the sun started to sink in the sky and the street lights came on.

Rumors had followed them about a wedding that had been crashed, but thankfully, they'd managed to spend the entire day without once running across anyone who might have recognized them as the culprits.

The orphanage was at dinner when they arrived. Though they had nibbled all day and were not hungry in the least, they joined the children in the dining room where Chaetl was instantly mobbed by a handful of older students who were curious to know what had happened at the festival. They crowded him, shouting questions and demanding answers until the Doctor stepped in and shooed some of them away.

Rose watched as the Doctor squatted by Chaetl to speak to him.

"It's your story to tell, do you want to?"

"Yes."

The Doctor smiled and lifted Chaetl into his arms. Looking around the room, he decided on a central point and moved there. Then, after sitting Chaetl on the table, he took a step away.

Chaetl's expression pinched for a second, but the Doctor smiled reassuringly and gestured for him to start telling the story.

"I've never seen so many people in one place before," he began haltingly, and most of the children abandoned their half-full plates in order to move closer. "And roses were everywhere, but not just as decoration. They were in the food and drinks; there was a game where you had to throw a small ball into the center of a rose blossom. Everything smelled so good. But first we went into this tent..." By the time got to the part about the groom's disguise, his words were flowing smoothly and confidently.

Rose took a step closer to the Doctor and leaned her head on his shoulder. Adventuring with him wasn't always about toppling corrupt governments and stopping alien invasions, sometimes it was as simple as changing one person's life for the better.

The money would go a long way to help, but all of the money in the universe couldn't make the people of Eridan accept these orphans completely. Watching the rapt expressions on the other children's faces as Chaetl told them about how they'd run from the wedding guests, it pained her that they couldn't do more. Yet, for one day, Chaetl hadn't been an orphan. He'd been met with friendliness and treated with respect. It was what he deserved.

It was what all of them deserved.

She tried not to dwell too long on the reason Chaetl had been accepted so readily by the citizens they'd spoken to. No one could suspect just by looking at him that he was anything than what he appeared to be, a genetic blend of herself and the Doctor, their son. After their intimacy of the night before and the Doctor's admission that he was amenable to the idea of having children with her if she wanted, the day they'd spent as a trio looked like a preview, if you will.

And it'd been nice.

When Chaetl's story wound down, Ms. Easchert and Aenan pushed those children still interested in their meals back towards them and the others upstairs to prepare for bed. The Doctor lifted Chaetl again and, with one hand clasped around Rose's, lead them all upstairs.

"I'll take care of him," he said to her, gesturing at the TARDIS "if you want to go."

A bath sounded heavenly, so Rose agreed. "Come see me when you're done, yeah?"

"Of course."

She pressed a kiss into his cheek and gave Chaetl a hug before stepping into the blue box.

* * *

_*Arkytior.*_

The Doctor looked down at Chaetl. _*Yes, she is.*_

 _*You call the roses arkytior, too.*_ Chaetl asked as he took a set of clothes from his dresser and changed into them.

_*I do. I told you, the language we've been speaking is not my native tongue.*_

_*What language_ _do_ _you_ _speak?"_

_*There are billions of languages in the universe. I speak many of them and understand even more.*_

He climbed onto his bed and slid beneath the thin blankets. _*But_ _arkytior,_ _where does it come from?*_

The Doctor hesitated. He didn't speak about Gallifrey to just anyone. In fact after two years together, including the last month that they'd been _together_ together, Rose only knew the basic details of his planet, dry facts which could be found in an almanac, if any still existed.

 _*I apologize, Doctor,*_ Chaetl's voice entered his mind again, _*I did not realize the thought was so painful.*_

The Doctor looked down to where the boy's hand rested on his. He wasn't actively probing, just picking up surface emotions, a considerably more difficult feat for its subtlety than either the talking or the mental pictures they'd been sending each other.

It was also rather rude to do without permission, and the need to reprimand him warred with an overwhelming sense of pride at this accomplishment.

Chaetl drew his hand back before the thought was completed, and spoke. "I apologize again, Doctor. I did not know."

The Doctor ruffled his hair affectionately. "You didn't let me finish." He covered Chaetl's hand with his own and pushed a wave of pride at him. _*Yes, you should ask permission first, but you're a child, still learning, and_ _it's_ _my responsibility to teach you not only what you're capable of, but the boundaries that you should respect. I'm not upset, I'm pleased. Your abilities are progressing very well, faster than I had predicted.*_

The effect of his praise on Chaetl was immediate and obvious, and the boy preened under the attention.

He steeled himself for the inevitable onslaught of questions before pushing another thought at Chaetl. _*The name of my planet was_ _Gallifrey, but it is long gone now.*_ But no such questions came his way as Chaetl respected the barrier of pain and sorrow he'd felt a moment earlier.

_*Could you teach me?*_

_*Gallifreyan was a very complicated language. It took some people centuries to master.*_

_*Just a few words. Like 'home'?*_

_*It's not always that straightforward. The physical structure or the feeling of belonging?*_

_*Belonging.*_

_*Durame.*_

_*Durame. What about 'please'?*_

_*To make someone happy or to beg a favor?*_

_*A favor.*_

_*Kelados.*_

_*Kelados. What is your word for... father?*_

The Doctor swallowed hard, carefully keeping his emotions in check even though Chaetl's hand was no longer touching his. Chaetl's expression and mental voice were both completely free of demand, but the implication was clear.

_*Are you speaking about your father, to your father, are you, yourself, the father to whom you are referring, or are you speaking of someone else's father?*_

_*Speaking to my father.*_

_*Are you calling him by name or --*_

_*Yes.*_

_*What was your father's name?*_

Chaetl hesitated.

His hearts ached for the boy. _*Chaetl --*_

_*Please, Doctor. Kelados.*_

_*You would add 'sai' behind your father's name when speaking to him directly.*_

He nodded, but did not repeat it. _*And mother?*_

 _*You remember that these are only my people's words?_ _Even Rose uses different words.*_

 _*I understand_.*

 _*Mother is 'len' and used just like_ _sai.*_

_*'Thank you'?*_

_*Mirhakisut.*_

_*Mirhakisut, Doctor.*_

_*Duldin thameyr, Chaetl.*_

The Doctor leaned over and hugged the small boy, scooting him down until his head rested on the pillow. "Good night."

"Good night, Doctor."

He'd stood and taken a step towards the TARDIS when a quiet "You'll still be here tomorrow?" stopped him.

"Yeah," he replied softly. "Of course."

Chaetl smiled and turned on his side to face the TARDIS.

With a little wave, the Doctor disappeared inside.

The console room was already dimmed for nighttime, a sure sign that the sentient ship expected him to continue on elsewhere. She wouldn't suffer his tinkering tonight.

"That took longer than I expected," Rose said when he arrived at her open bedroom door. She'd showered and changed for bed while waiting for him and was looking over her shoulder at his reflection in her mirror.

"We got into a discussion about language. I taught him some new words." The Doctor took off his jacket, loosened his tie, and then toed off his chucks, stopping in mid-motion of bending to move his shoes aside with a tiny 'oh' of surprise. He straightened. "Um. That was very presumptuous of me, wasn't it?"

She hummed inquisitively as she turned around to look at him, a slow smile working its way across her lips. "What was?"

He gestured at what, for him, was a scandalous state of undress, the night before notwithstanding.

"Doctor," she said, moving away from the mirror and approaching him, "are we together? A proper couple?"

"You know we are."

"Then I would be disappointed and not half concerned if you intended to sleep anywhere else except by my side."

He smiled and made a pleased noise in the back of his throat. "I'll just..." He gestured at the en suite and Rose moved aside so he could pass.

She was climbing into bed when he stepped out again only a moment later, a bemused expression on his face and a bundle of clothes in his hand. "I don't suppose you had anything to do with this?" he asked, gesturing with the clothes.

"No," she answered uncertainly. "What is that?"

"My jimjams."

A lascivious grin spread across her face. "If I had my way, you wouldn't need them."

With a blush staining his cheeks, he returned to the en suite to perform his bedtime routine, making his way to Rose's bed when he was done and climbing in beside her.

"Do you..." he started when she snuggled close to him, "do you have... _needs_?"

"What?"

His hand slid down her back to rest on the swell of her bum. "Any _needs_ of the variety I'm supposed to be helping with?"

A hearty giggle filled the room. "You're so daft, Doctor. No. Thank you. I'm fine - knackered, in fact, so let's just get some sleep."

"Okay. Just so you know, I probably won't sleep. My body doesn't need as much as humans, and I did sleep last night, so it'll be another day or two before I need more."

She lifted her head to look at him. "So, what then, you're just going to lay there all night? Won't you get bored?"

"Well, since the TARDIS seems adverse to me tinkering, I really don't have much else to do. Don't worry about me. I keep a book -- well, I say 'a' book, there are several, actually -- in my jacket pocket. I can read."

"If you say so, but don't think you have to stay on my account."

He pushed a lock of hair back from her face. "That's not the only reason I'm staying. I'm staying because I want to."

Rose smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Good night, Doctor."

"Good night, Rose."


	12. Chapter 12

The Doctor had a brainstorm just after Rose drifted off to sleep which found him combing the TARDIS' library in the middle of the night looking for a very specific book. When he found it, he returned to her bed and sat with his back resting on the headboard, the large book open in his lap. Rose grumbled a bit at the light he was using to read and then turned over so that her back was to him. He smoothed a hand over the back of her head in silent apology, and she hummed contentedly in her sleep.

The next morning after breakfast, the Doctor intercepted Mr. Elgard and offered him the day off. Since it was the last day of the Lovers' Festival, the other man happily turned around and left the building. If the Doctor had anything to say about it, he'd never have to darken Aelgis' doorstep again. But that was a conversation for another time.

He took up position in the geography classroom just in time for the students to start trickling in. It was Chaetl's first class of the day, and one he would usually spend staring out the window at the garden below. Today he smiled when he saw who was standing at the front of the room, and placed himself in a desk on the front row. It didn't take long after that for the other children to notice, and they quickly found seats as well.

"Geography!" the Doctor started as soon as all of the children were seated. "The study of the physical features of a planet and its atmosphere, and of how the activity of sentient beings affects and is affected by them, including the distribution of populations and resources, land use, and industries. Can anyone tell me where Mr. Elgard left off?"

A few hesitant hands raised, and after a brief discussion, he launched into a lecture on the physical features of Eridan which morphed quickly into native flora and fauna, and then into tradable goods and industry. He didn't stop until a knock on the door interrupted him, announcing the arrival of the next class. With a sheepish smile he dismissed his students, and Chaetl came forward to wrap his arms around the Doctor's waist.

_*Mirhakisut, Doctor. Best lesson ever.*_

The rest of the day went in similar fashion. Rose poked her head in periodically, and usually left shaking it in fond amusement. And Ms. Easchert settled into a desk in the back of the room shortly after lunchtime, apparently having been alerted by someone that he'd taken over for Mr. Elgard, but she left again a few minutes later, satisfied that he was competent about the subject matter and that the students were so enthralled they weren't giving him any trouble.

It was not until they settled down at dinner time that he started getting any feedback at all about his turn as the school's geography teacher. Rose just sat quietly beside him with an amused grin on her lips, while Chaetl sat on her lap with a proud smile on his, as student after student approached them on the way to their own seats to thank the Doctor for his lecture.

When the cook began serving dinner, the Doctor learned what Rose had been up to that day.

He squeezed her hand. "I thought when you asked for my credit stick this morning that you were going shopping."

"I did go shopping."

"Well, yes, but --" He gestured vaguely at the children wolfing down their fish and chips -- or, rather, a close enough approximation to chips, as Eridan had a vegetable that only vaguely resembled a potato. "I thought you were going shopping _for you_."

She shrugged noncommittally. "Didn't see anything I liked."

The Doctor squeezed her hand again and tucked into his own plate.

 _*Ms. Easchert told me that I was not born on Eridan,*_ Chaetl said when it was time for bed.

_*That's right. Your parents were off-worlders.*_

_*I am not human.*_

_*No. You are Tarandi. Very similar evolutionary track to humans, but there are a few significant differences.*_

_*Do you know the name of my planet? My home world?*_

_*Most likely Doradus III,*_ he replied, _*Tarandi aren't much for colonization in this time period.*_

_*What is it like?*_

_*Similar enough to Eridan for this to be a comfortable vacation destination. It's a big planet, larger than this one, with one dominating continent and a few smaller islands."_

_*What was your planet like?*_ he asked.

With a sad sigh, the Doctor closed his eyes and sent images to Chaetl along with his words. _*Bright, silver-leafed trees and fields of deep red grass. The second sun would rise in the south making the trees look like a forest on fire. There were vast mountain ranges capped with snow. And on the continent of Wild Endeavour, in the mountains of Solace and Solitude stood the Capitol of the Time Lords, the Citadel, which was enclosed in a great glass dome.*_

_*It's lovely.*_

_*It was.*_

_*Do you miss it?*_

_*There was nothing for me on Gallifrey long before the planet was destroyed. I ache more for the memory of what it once was, the potential that was wasted, and the power that was misused which lead to its destruction.*_

_*That is Doradus III for me, Doctor, more because I have no memory of it, of my life before Aelgis. I'm sorry your home world was lost to you, but mine was lost to me as well.*_

_*You're too young to be so jaded, Chaetl. There's a chance you still have family there.*_

_*I have no one there I care about, and anyone who cares about me should have come looking before now.*_

_*Things aren't always that simple. There could be any number of reasons no one's located you.*_

The boy's eyes bored into him, but he didn't respond. Then, "You'll still be here tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Tomorrow is our last day."

Without thinking, the Doctor leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead, a gesture he'd picked up centuries ago from his human companions. It wasn't until he pulled away and noticed the sheen of tears in the boy's eyes that he realized that kiss had probably been the most affection Chaetl had ever been shown. Aenen was good with the children, but the only thing the Doctor had ever seen her do was offer one of them a tight hug, and though Ms. Easchert and many of the teachers seemed to care, they were not overtly affectionate.

The Doctor sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, pulled the boy up onto his lap, and hugged him tightly. He couldn't possibly ignore Chaetl's soft sniffles, each one reaching deep into his chest and tugging at his hearts. He remembered being seven quite clearly, his last year of freedom before being brought before the Untempered Schism and declared worthy of attending the Academy. Gallifreyan parents were not, by tradition, affectionate, a tradition he'd blindly continued with his own children. It wasn't until years later, after he'd begun traveling with humans, that he'd understood the feeling of emptiness from his childhood and the frequent urges he'd had to suppress to wrap his arms around his children. It was just one more way he'd never fit into the mould Time Lord society had expected of him.

But this crying boy who would one day become an evasive old man with twinkling eyes deserved so much better. And he'd been brave enough to ask for it on the very first day they'd met.

Rocking gently back and forth, the Doctor lost track of time as he mumbled reassurances into Chaetl's hair until his tears finally quieted and he fell into a deep sleep. Then, he shifted, tilting Chaetl back so that he could look at his face. He rubbed his thumbs over the apple of each pale cheek, warm and splotchy with tear tracks just beginning to dry on them, and then carded his fingers through the strands of fine, blond hair atop his head.

He'd told Rose that he would be amenable to having children with her, but at a vague, nebulous date in their future, giving him plenty of time to accustom himself to the idea of becoming a father again. They were not supposed to jump in, only a month into their changed relationship, with Rose barely 21 years old, to make themselves parents to a seven year old.

And Rose was so incredibly compassionate, he didn't think she'd be able to say no if he asked her, if he even hinted that this was something he wanted. So he'd better be sure that it was.

Pressing another kiss onto Chaetl's forehead, he laid him back on the bed and pulled the covers up to his neck. "Good night."

* * *

Rose turned at the sound of her name, barely recognizing the Doctor's voice, to see him standing in her doorway, face drawn, eyes tired and sad.

"Doctor? What's --"

In two large steps, he crossed the distance between them and pulled her body against his, claiming her lips and plunging his tongue into her mouth with an urgency she'd never seen in him before. Though her first instinct was to kiss him back, it was painfully obvious that something was wrong. She tried to break the kiss, but his hand found her hip and squeezed as his lips chased after her.

Finally, after placing her hands on his shoulders, she was able to push him away. "Talk to me," she ordered breathlessly. "Don't just do this, it's not you. Tell me what you're thinking."

His brow furrowed. "Rose, I -- I was a terrible father. My children were annoyances I left to be dealt with by others. It wasn't until Susan that I -- and I managed to bollocks that up, too, in the end."

She cupped his cheek. "What brought this on? Did something happen with Chaetl?" He nodded slowly, his eyes falling closed. "Is he all right?"

"Fine. Sleeping."

"You're brilliant with him, Doctor, patient, caring, and kind. You've become a teacher and a friend to him in such a short time. And if that's the kind of father you're going to be, I can't wait to introduce you to our child."

"I'll mess it up, I know I will."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Doctor. Everyone, even parents. That doesn't make you a bad person or a bad father. It makes you normal. And you learn from those mistakes, you grow, and eventually you make different mistakes so you learn and grow from them, too."

Eyes still closed, he sought her lips with his, closing in on them so reverently that she could almost taste his anguish. She returned the kiss, consoling him with her own lips and tongue, one hand cradling the back of his head. He felt like he was going to break any minute, so she gathered every ounce of her love for him and poured it into the kiss, doing the best she could with her limited abilities to push those feelings at him telepathically as well.

He whimpered, which seemed inconsistent with the kiss until Rose realized it meant he'd received her message.

She put just enough space between them so that she could breathe again. "I'm sorry I can't do more."

His eyes fluttered open, their chocolate depths still filled with pain, but it was tempered somewhat now. "It's possible with time and practice that you'll get stronger, but that you even try means more to me than the sound of a thousand voices of my people."

Her entire body was suffused with warmth, a tiny grin from him her only indication of where it had come from. He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb over her lips. "Rose, I --" The tip of his tongue snuck out to wet his lips. "I want to make love with you."

A breath caught in her throat. "I thought you said we had to wait."

"The implant is fully functional and I can ask the TARDIS to strengthen her shields for a time." He studied her face for a moment. "I know it's not the best timing or even remotely romantic --"

She cut him off by pressing her lips against his again. "The answer is yes, Doctor. It will always be yes."


	13. Chapter 13

The Doctor's eyes softened even further and though he didn't move, he suddenly seemed so much closer. He slid one hand up the back of her neck, carding it into her hair and sending a shiver down her spine, and then guided their lips together again. For all of the desperation he'd exhibited when he first came into the room, this kiss was nothing like that. He delved deeply into her mouth, slowly and deliberately... with intent.

Her hands found the knot of his tie, but when she was still struggling to remove it several seconds later, the Doctor brought his hand up between them and loosened it for her.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"Hey," he breathed, brushing the backs of his fingers over her cheek, "we're finally here and you're nervous?"

A self-deprecating laugh escaped her. "Yeah, a little, I guess. It's not that I'm having second thoughts," she rushed to assure him when he opened his mouth and she could just sense what he'd been about to say. "But you're you, and I love you so much I just want this to be perfect."

He pressed a kiss to her lips and then pulled away just enough to leave their noses touching. "You're you, I love you so much, and this will be perfect, even if it's not."

Rose's face exploded into a huge smile and she wrapped her arms around his neck again. "You said the words."

An expression of disbelief on his face, he pulled back even further, stretching her body along the long length of his. "Of course I did. I'm only daft some of the time."

She giggled and rose up on her toes to kiss him again. But when the Doctor slipped a hand underneath her shirt and slid it upward to expose her skin, her giggle turned into a groan.

Turnabout was definitely fair play as she returned her - much steadier now - hands to the top of his shirt and made quick work of the buttons there. She had to stop halfway through when he lifted her shirt and pulled it over her head, but quickly returned to her task, finishing the buttons and then pushing the shirt off of his shoulders.

He moved his hands away from an unhurried exploration of her breasts to let the shirt fall to the floor and then brought them back. "There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world --"

Rose laughed again as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "That's The Princess Bride, Doctor."

"So it is, but that doesn't make it any less true." He leaned down to drop a kiss on the top of each breast.

Her fingers flitted along the edge of his waistband, inching around his trousers until she arrived at the front and slid her hand down. She frowned when she found him still soft beneath the layers of cloth.

"What's wrong?"

"You're not..." She gestured vaguely.

"You know I can turn on my physical responses at any time."

"I know you can, so... could you? I want to feel you."

After a beat he gestured with a nod, exhaling raggedly when she wrapped her fingers around him as best she could through the trousers. "Better?"

"Yeah," she replied, her cheeks burning a bit from the embarrassment of having to ask her soon-to-be lover to get an erection. "Thanks."

"Sorry. I didn't even think about it because I know how much I want you." His long fingers traced the shell of her ear, his eyes following the motion. "But your body is hardwired to expect the physical evidence of my arousal."

Chuckling, she shook her head slowly from side to side.

The motion and sound drew his attention back to her face. "What?"

"Only you, Doctor. It's about feeling wanted, but you make it sound like science class."

"It is science," he said, his voice deeper and much slower than usual. "Biology." He leaned forward and sniffed deliberately at the join of her shoulder and neck, and then nipped, the barest press of his teeth against the skin there. "Anatomy." His hand covered her breast and squeezed, pinching the nipple with his thumb and forefinger. "All of those lovely hormones and pheromones zinging throughout your body and millennia of evolution telling you that --" He placed his other hand at the base of her spine and pulled her hips to him so that she could feel his erection pressing against her. "-- this is what your body is craving."

"Okay," she conceded with a laugh and utterly unable to force her gaze above the level of his lips. "Sexy science class, but still science class."

He released her and lifted his arms over his head to grab the back of his vest, pulling it off in one smooth motion. "Miss Tyler," he said, and it was impossible to take him seriously with his hair in disarray from the passage of the vest and his bare chest begging for her touch, "if you don't take your education more seriously, I'll have to keep you after for detention."

Giving in to the temptation, Rose ran her fingers through the hair on his chest, and the Doctor groaned as she turned her fingernails inward to scrape the skin beneath. "Dunno. If this is what detention looks like, I might never take my education seriously again."

The Doctor shivered but shook his head to clear it. "Not today, though. We'll play another time." Looking down at her, he took a step forward, guiding her backwards to the bed. Then, gripping her waist, he helped her up onto the mattress.

With her tongue caught between her teeth, she grinned up at him. "Will you wear your specs?"

He growled and leaned forward, pushing her to a reclining position as he laid over her. His voice dripped with honey when he replied, "And nothing else."

Rose's insides melted, and she squirmed, pressing her thighs together.

Chuckling darkly, he ran a hand up her side and closed his long fingers around the swell of her breast, teasing and tugging until the nipple stood out proudly and Rose ached for more.

Grabbing the waistbands of both her sleep shorts and her knickers, she pushed them off of her hips, but the press of his body against hers prevented her from moving them any lower than mid-thigh without accidentally kicking him. "All right. You win. Enough of the foreplay. I need you right now."

"But I'm just getting started."

"Nope. Two years is plenty of foreplay for me, thank you very much." Since he didn't seem inclined to move to give her room to take her shorts off, she turned her hands and made quick work of the clasp of his trousers instead, pushing them off of his hips and putting them once again on equal footing as far as the state of their undress. "Please, Doctor."

"Yes, I think you're right." He kissed her again and then shifted off of her, kicking his own trousers to the floor while pulling hers the rest of the way down her legs. When he returned, Rose parted her legs, inviting him in, and he placed himself in the cradle of her thighs.

He felt so different from either of the men she'd been with before, all long, lean body and hard angles, with no glaring evidence of the fact that he was an alien, and she'd certainly looked her fill in the few seconds it'd taken him to finish undressing so she considered herself something of an expert on the matter.

"Ready?" he asked, the part of him that was most definitely male pressing familiarly against her opening.

Rose could only nod.

The Doctor pressed his lips against hers and shifted his hips. Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and felt the tension in his shoulders as he breached her entrance and slowly slid deeper and deeper inside of her.

He didn't break the kiss until he was fully seated inside of her, his breathing labored as he held himself still.

"The TARDIS," she reminded him gently, "and your, um, 'active' sperm."

One thrust, a short, quick in and out, reversed their situations. Rose's breathing became labored and the Doctor seemed to calm. "Both taken care of."

She gasped when he repeated the thrust, slower this time.

"What do you like, Rose Tyler? Slow and deliberate?" Rose wrapped her legs around waist as he withdrew and returned in long, even strokes, punctuating each thrust by rubbing his pelvis against her clit. Each return coiled the tension building inside of her tighter and tighter.

"Or hard and fast?" He rose up on his knees and wrapped his long fingers around her hips to hold her to him. She screamed with every stroke, the pleasure so intense it was nearly pain, as each one ended with the head his cock ramming into the front wall of her vagina.

"Oh, God! Doctor!"

"Is this how you like it?"

"Oh, God," she sobbed.

Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, he moved his hand from her hip and pinched lightly on her clit. Rose's whole world exploded into pleasure.

The Doctor was talking again, in that maddeningly sexy voice of his, but even if her ears had been functioning properly, there's no way his words could have penetrated her brain. He used the short strokes and his very, _very_ talented fingers to extend her orgasm as long as possible, waiting until she was coming down from the high to lean over her and once again lengthen his strokes.

Now his gob wouldn't stop. Rose learned that she was 'beautiful,' 'sexy,' 'tight and hot,' that her 'orgasm was the most magnificent thing in the cosmos,' and then more of his language than she'd ever heard spoken before as his body stiffened above her and the rhythm of his hips fell apart.

Rose could feel him, pulsing inside of her, his come cool as it struck her walls, and she clutched him to her as it went on and on, his shoulders trembling and his voice completely deserting him, devolving into just a series of gasps. He scrambled a bit to gain purchase on the sheets and then pressed himself tighter to her, firming up the connection where their bodies were joined.

And then, finally, he seemed to heave a sigh of relief and his shoulders slumped. He didn't stir for several minutes, each breath he took labored and his hearts pounding against her chest. She didn't know, couldn't see a clock, and he was the Time Lord so he'd eventually be able to tell her, but Rose would be willing to bet that his orgasm had lasted longer than hers.

She turned and pressed a kiss into his cheek, and then nuzzled his face with hers, never mind the sweat between them. "I love you."

The sound of her voice seemed to bring him out of his stupor and he looked down at her. "Oh, Rose."

Her eyes filled with tears at the reverence in his voice. She smiled quickly, though, to reassure him that the tears were happy, and he wrapped his arms around her neck, hugging her tightly, their bodies still intimately joined.

The Doctor pulled back enough to kiss her, once more light and teasing, and she was _never_ going to feel the same way about those kisses again. "This wasn't planned or I'd have taken better precautions. There's going to be a bit of a mess to clean up."

"Don't care. I'll change the sheets. I'll flip the mattress if that's what it takes."

He looked up sharply at her nightstand and smiled fondly. "I don't think that will be necessary. Thanks, old girl." Stretching over Rose's body, he plucked a large towel that had most definitely not been there earlier off of the nightstand. The motion drew a long, low moan out of Rose as she realized he was still completely hard inside of her.

"Doctor," she whined.

"Completely voluntary," he reminded her, bopping the tip of her nose with his finger. "And right now I'm using it to prevent creating a bigger mess than we have to."

He opened the towel and then lifted his upper body so that he was kneeling again. "Lift your hips."

She did, moaning loudly when the motion impaled her deeply on his hard length.

"Oh, you beautiful, wanton thing. After all of that, you're still..." Shaking his head, he laid the towel out beneath her bum and then guided her hips back down to the bed. "Humans," he tsked.

"S'not that I'm Human, Doctor. It's you."

A proud, almost lecherous smile worked its way across his lips. But when most blokes would have happily taken the opportunity to have a second go, the Doctor allowed himself to soften and pulled out of her.

Rose whimpered at the loss, a noise she quickly repeated as she felt their combined juices gush out of her onto the towel. She'd never had sex before without a condom, but even still it felt like there was _a lot_.

"There's far more than you're used to," he said, reading her expression as he also watched the progress, "different biology, after all. And," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I told you it had been a while."

"I don't care. It was wonderful."

He smiled again, shyly this time, and then waited until the gush turned into a trickle before picking up the corner of the towel and wiping her clean. "You can lift your hips again."

She did, and he pulled the towel out from under her, using a different corner to wipe himself before balling the whole thing up, walking over to the basket of dirty laundry and dropping it in. He returned to the bed and laid down on top of the covers with her, pulling her close.

"Thank you."

Rose felt the ease of her muscles as she moved against him, laying her arm over his waist and nuzzling into his body. "I think I should be the one thanking you. I haven't felt this good in ages."

He drew her into a kiss, this one languid but definitely with a spark of passion beneath it. "Imagine how I feel."

She hummed and tightened her arm around him. "Good point." Despite herself, she started to drift off to sleep. "Love you."

The Doctor rested his cheek on her head and curled himself around her. "Love you, too."


	14. Chapter 14

The Doctor bounded downstairs the next morning, arriving at the base of the stairs to see Ms. Easchert speaking to a short man he hadn't seen around the school before. "Ah, here he is now. Dr. Smith, this is our headmaster, Hyonak Reuel. Headmaster, this is the man I've been telling you about."

"Dr. Smith," Reuel extended his hand and the Doctor took it. "If what Cyne has told me is true, I must say I'm very pleased, but a lot more surprised. It's highly unusual for anyone, much less an off-worlder, to take such a keen interest in helping our little operation."

"It's what we do, Headmaster, travel from place to place, offering assistance to those who need it. You're doing a good thing here, something I like to see."

"Well, shall we discuss business, then? Cyne mentioned you plan to leave today, so I'm sure you're anxious to get on your way."

The Doctor looked around the entryway at the children who were coming downstairs and milling towards the dining hall. "I'm in no rush. We can speak at the end of the day."

"Of course. If there's anything you need assistance with, please do not hesitate to ask." He glanced at Ms. Easchert. "Though, I'm told you seem to have had no trouble making a place for yourself."

Rose and Chaetl came down the stairs in that moment, hand in hand. They stopped beside him, and the Doctor slid his arm around Rose's waist.

"Good morning, Mr. Reuel," Chaetl said and then looked up at Rose, ignoring how Reuel's eyes widened at the sharp contrast in his demeanor. "What do you think we're having for breakfast?"

"I don't know," Rose replied, "let's go find out."

The Doctor gave a tiny wave to Reuel as the three of them walked off toward the dining hall.

"Remarkable," he heard the man say, and Ms. Easchert softly agreed.

After a breakfast of hotcakes and fruit, the three of them went back up to Chaetl's room together while the other children went to their classes.

"If you want to wait in the TARDIS, I'm just going to go over a few things with him, practice his shielding, that kind of thing. It'll probably be boring to watch."

Rose looked from him to Chaetl. "I'll just go get a book or something and come back, yeah?"

He also looked down at Chaetl, who was standing off to the side trying his best to act like he wasn't listening to their conversation. "Sure. Yeah. I might not be able to acknowledge you when you get back, though."

"I'm not that insecure, Doctor. I understand."

He dropped a kiss on her cheek, and then turned around when she ducked into the TARDIS.

"All right. Let's get started." The Doctor walked over to the window and sat down on the floor, leaving the one chair in the room for Rose when she returned.

Chaetl sat opposite him. _*I was serious when I asked you to adopt me, Doctor.*_

_*I know you were.*_

The door to the TARDIS opened again and Rose stepped out, book in hand, drawing their attention away from each other.

_*You seem to appreciate honesty, even if others would find that same honesty hurtful or intrusive.*_ Chaetl said as they watched Rose settle into the chair. _*Her thoughts are very loud. She is not your wife.*_

Rose waved at them and he waved back. _*She is in every way that matters.*_

_*Is that what's stopping you from adopting me?*_

_*No.*_ He turned his attention fully back to the boy in front of him. _*Things are much more complicated than that.*_

_*I have no other prospects, Doctor. In addition to the difficulties of getting adopted on this planet, I have the added problem of being telepathic and a different species.*_

_*Those are not problems.*_

_*Not to you, no.*_ He glanced over at Rose again. _*Are they problems for her?*_

_*No. It has nothing to do with who you are. Our lifestyle... it isn't safe for children.*_

Chaetl gave him a withering glance the Doctor would have thought him incapable of that clearly said 'then change it.'

He straightened his shoulders and grasped Chaetl's hands, the physical connection being necessary for the lesson he had planned. _*Like I said, it isn't that simple.*_

Pain lashed through the boy and the Doctor instantly regretted his words. He closed his eyes to keep his own emotions in check before turning to look at Rose. She was looking down at her book, paying them no mind.

_*I'll talk to her, but that's all I can promise,*_ he said, and felt the tiny spark of hope his words kindled. _*Now, let's get started.*_

The Doctor spent the morning teaching Chaetl how to filter his sensory input, rather than just blocking it all out or letting it all in, and practicing raising his defensive shields quickly. He knew the boy had not given up on the idea of being adopted, something that was confirmed when they returned from a quickly-eaten lunch with Rose to sit back on the floor in the bedroom.

_*Your society was very strict.*_

_*It was.*_ He sent Chaetl images of stifling meetings and what little social interaction he'd been allowed to have before leaving Gallifrey.

_*What about as a child?*_

_*The same.*_ He offered images of himself at Chaetl's age, only a few months before he'd stood before the Untempered Schism, during one of his daily meetings with his father, bowing tightly at the waist, hands fisted at his side. The man had looked down at him from the perch of his chair and chastised the tutor for his child's unruly appearance, even though he'd been prepared and his clothing chosen specifically with that meeting in mind. Five minutes later he was herded back to his chambers, not having spoken more than three words to his father and having received none from him.

_*And I was no better as a father to my children. Though, it is a mistake I will not make again.*_

Though Chaetl had taken their morning lessons to heart, he caught the way his words fanned the boy's fledgling hope. And, in truth, if he and Rose really were on the cusp of having children of their own, adding Chaetl to their family would do nothing to advance the changes that would already have to be made to their lifestyle.

The memory of the old man Chaetl had been, his obvious happiness at the life he'd lead and pride at the family that had accepted him suddenly stuck in the Doctor's mind. Very fortunate, indeed.

He turned his attention to another lesson, hardly noticing the time pass until Rose's hand landed gently on his shoulder.

"Mr. Reuel is preparing to leave for the day, Doctor. If you want to talk to him, now's the time to do it."

* * *

"I'm prepared to be very generous," he said when he and Rose were seated in the headmaster's office a few minutes later, Mr. Reuel and Ms. Easchert sitting opposite them. It was getting close to dinner time and most of the children were still in their last classes of the day, but they'd left Chaetl in his room. "However, I do have one condition: you must replace Elgard. The children deserve so much better."

"He wasn't easy to find, he'll be even harder to replace."

"You'll have to manage. He's slow and uninspired. In one day I covered more material with the children than he'd done in a month. Their education is paramount, Mr. Reuel, and Elgard is holding them back."

After a moment, Reuel nodded, reluctantly conceding the point. "Cyne, make a note to start looking for a replacement."

"Yes, sir."

The Doctor smiled broadly. "Excellent. Now that that's done, what are Aelgis' operating costs for a year?"

"A whole year? Forty-five thousand."

"And how much would you need to bring the home up to the level you think it needs to be? Your wishlist, let's say, repairs, expansions, everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

Reuel exchanged a glance with Ms. Easchert. "At least that much again, probably as much as fifty," he replied, and she nodded her agreement.

"So, ninety-five thousand?" The Doctor nodded. "We can make it an even one hundred thousand galactic standard credits."

The other man's eyes widened. "Galactic standard? I thought we were speaking in Khte."

"I apologize, I'm unfamiliar with the exchange rate."

"One galactic credit is worth three Khte."

"Molto bene. Galactic standard credits it is then."

"But, Dr. Smith!"

Ms. Easchert found the headmaster's arm, forestalling his protests despite the trembling of her own hand. "Thank you, Dr. Smith, Mrs. Smith. It is far more generous than we could possibly have hoped."

"Smart woman, Ms. Easchert. Very shrewd." The Doctor's eyes twinkled as he tapped the side of his nose. "I'll set up the transfer when we return to our ship." He stood and offered his hand to the headmaster, who took it but still seemed a bit shell-shocked. He then shook Ms. Easchert's hand. "All right, Rose?" he said, before realizing that Ms. Easchert had not yet released him.

"There is another matter we still need to discuss, Dr. Smith."

"And what is that?"

"The adoption, of course. The boy, Chaetl." She looked from him to Rose. "You will be taking him with you, yes?"

Finally, he was able to prise his hand from her grip. He'd known it would come to this and yet he'd still come into this discussion unprepared. "We haven't discussed it, actually."

"Oh." She deflated a little. "I just assumed, Dr. Smith. I mean, after everything you've done for him these past few days..."

This time it was Rose's hand on his arm, stopping him before he had a chance to say anything more.

"Ms. Easchert, Mr. Reuel, can you give me and my husband a moment alone, please?"

He barely had time to blink before Ms. Easchert was herding the headmaster out of the office and closing the door behind them.

Rose's hand found his, the heat and weight of her a comfort to his rapidly beating hearts. He looked down at her, almost dreading what he'd see there. But her gaze met his, completely open and unassuming.

"What do you want, Rose? Because I can't make this decision by myself. This will affect both of us."

"We need to do this."

"No, we don't. This is not a fixed point. It could fluctuate either way."

She blinked, slowly and deliberately, gathering her thoughts. "I remember him now, from before," she said softly. "And a part of me wonders if things didn't happen that way because he wanted this to be a fixed point."

"What do you mean, you remember him from before?" he asked cautiously.

"The old man we met, Doctor, the one with the tea. That could only be Chaetl."

He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "How long have you known?"

"I was pretty sure yesterday but it wasn't until Ms. Easchert mentioned adoption a few minutes ago that it really clicked. I'm a little embarrassed I didn't think about it days ago. I mean, really, he takes his tea exactly like you do and keeps my favorite biscuits stocked in his pantry."

"It still doesn't have to happen, Rose, not if it's something you're uncomfortable with."

"I think it does." She paused. "I think it should."

He squeezed her hand and leaned down to kiss her. Then he let himself focus on the small mind that had been attempting to probe his since they'd entered the headmaster's office. A delighted whoop filled the building and the sound of shoes hitting heavily on the ceiling above their heads preceded those same shoes as they hurried down the stairs.

The door to the headmaster's office was thrown open and Chaetl rushed into the Doctor's arms. After a brief moment, he pulled away and dashed tears away from his face. He stood before Rose, but glanced over his shoulder and waited until the Doctor nodded.

With his arms straight, his hands fisted tightly at his sides, Chaetl bowed formally to Rose. "Arkytior-len."

Rose hesitated, her eyes flitting between himself and the boy who stood between them. Finally, she settled on him. "Len?"

He placed a hand on Chaetl's shoulder and squeezed, sending the boy an acknowledgment that he'd done it correctly. "It means mother," he said aloud. "He called you Mother Rose."

Rose fell to her knees and gathered Chaetl into her arms. The boy's stiff posture dissolved almost instantly, his small arms encircling Rose's neck.

Ms. Easchert entered the room, careful not to disturb them as she moved around the headmaster's desk and opened a drawer. She pulled out a single file folder and opened it, and then pointedly placed a pen beside the documents it contained. The Doctor chuckled. She'd already had all the paperwork prepared. He moved forward, intending only to touch Rose's shoulder, but was shocked when she dragged him to his knees and pulled him into the embrace.

His awareness shrank to just the three of them, Rose, his love and lover, and the boy who would soon be their son. No, he thought, as Chaetl's mind touched his and echoed the formal words he'd spoken to Rose, the boy who already was their son.


	15. Chapter 15

The paperwork was indeed ready and missing only their signatures. Rose gave him a tiny uncertain glance when he handed her the pen after signing John Smith with a flourish, but he only nodded to her and she signed her name as well, Rose Smith-Tyler.

Chaetl, possibly unable to believe his good fortune, refused to let go of their hands, insisting on holding on to at least one of them at all times. Packing his belongings took virtually no time at all, as the TARDIS could provide anything he'd need and there were only a few personal items he wished to bring along. They said their goodbyes to the headmaster, Ms. Easchert, and Aenen, and entered the TARDIS hand-in-hand.

His ship welcomed him back, but then immediately turned her focus to the new telepathic mind, leaving him to his own devices. He transfered the funds promised into the Aelgis account and then moved the TARDIS into the Vortex. Out of an overabundance of caution, the Doctor spent a few minutes applying child-safety commands on the console. Rose he could trust not to attempt to pilot the TARDIS herself, but a child might not exercise the same restraint, especially not one as curious and brilliant as Chaetl.

Once their ship was spinning contentedly in the Vortex, the Doctor turned his attention back to his little family. Chaetl's hand still firmly clasped Rose's, and he tugged her along behind him as he explored every corner of the control room. While he watched, Rose laughed at something Chaetl said and the simple fact that the boy was with them and happy was nearly enough to overwhelm the Doctor's usual stoicism.

Around them the TARDIS' color changed to a light blue as the ship touched his mind. "Ah, Rose, Chaetl? I think the TARDIS has something to show us."

Chaetl rushed up the ramp, pulling Rose along with him, to take the Doctor's outstretched hand. Rose met his eyes over the head of their son and the pure joy in her expression did him in. With his free hand, he cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss lingered until Chaetl released a small noise of disgust from his place between them.

The Doctor smiled and released Rose's lips. Squeezing Chaetl's hand, he lead them both down the ramp and to the corridor. A short way in a door was open leading to the room that the TARDIS had prepared, but he was surprised to see that it was unfurnished. A questioning noise from the TARDIS offered an explanation.

"She wants you to design it yourself, Chaetl. It's your room, so whatever you want."

Chaetl looked up at him and asked how, the mental communication coming easily with their hands already clasped.

"Just think about what you want it to look like."

After a moment, the room shimmied and a small functional bed and dresser appeared. The Doctor felt his smile fall from his face and a strangled noise from Rose confirmed that she felt the same way. He looked down at Chaetl whose eyes were searching both of their faces, his mental signature shrinking away at the emotions he was picking up from them. He squeezed the boy's hand to reassure him. "It's good, son, but not quite what we were thinking. Rose?"

Her eyes were brimming with tears, but she looked at him and pushed them back. "What do I need to do?"

The Doctor placed his free hand on the wall nearest him and waited until Rose did the same. "Same thing, just think about what you want it to look like."

He'd never had to do this for a companion, the TARDIS had always seemed to know what would be required, but then he'd never had such a young child for a companion either. He projected an idea to the TARDIS and knew that Rose was doing the same when the small bed and dresser disappeared. Later Chaetl would be able to make changes as he saw fit, but for now, this was the Doctor and Rose designing a room for their son.

After a few minutes the lighting in the room changed, softened, and the room expanded. Then, the first of the furniture started to appear. The bed was made of rich wood and nearly three times the size of the one Chaetl had requested, big enough to comfortably serve him for many years to come. A new dresser made of the same wood as the bed replaced the smaller one.

Part of one of the walls melted away to reveal a recessed bookshelf that was almost immediately filled with books of all shapes and sizes. Next to the bookshelf a small area of Bedouin pillows formed a nest for reading or lounging. A proper desk had also grown out of the wall, the surface clean and waiting to be filled, and a chair appeared beside it.

In the final corner, a second shelving unit grew out of the wall, then immediately began populating with toys. There was a train set, model airplanes, blocks, and half a dozen things the Doctor recognized from his own childhood on Gallifrey.

Doors began to appear, first one, then a second, and a third. The walls themselves took on a new color, a dark blue, nearly the same shade as the TARDIS herself. A few lamps appeared, a tall one near the bed and another on the corner of the desk but which also overlooked the pillows on the floor. Finally, pictures hung themselves on the walls, images of the Doctor and Rose together and a few of each of them separately. Quite deliberately, a few exposed nails also appeared and the Doctor vowed there would soon be pictures of the three of them together hanging there.

Then, after a brief pause, everything stopped.

The Doctor looked down at his son who stood with his mouth gaping open. The small hand in his trembled.

_*For me?*_

He squeezed Chaetl's hand reassuringly. "For you."

With a look at his _len_ for permission, Chaetl began exploring the space he had been given. His hand brushed along the books, the top of the desk; he stopped at the pillows and flopped down into them, scrambling up again almost immediately to run his fingers over the books on the bookshelf. It was at the toy shelves that he lingered the longest, touching each model and moving the blocks around a bit, his hands moving most uncertainly over the Gallifreyan toys.

While Chaetl was learning his room, Rose had moved closer to the Doctor, her arms encircling his waist as they watched the discovery.

Finally, Chaetl ran around opening doors, finding the en suite, walk-in wardrobe full of clothes, and lastly a connecting door that lead to Rose's room. The Doctor and Rose walked through that door themselves to find that Chaetl's room was not the only one the TARDIS had made changes to. This room had also been enlarged, in part to accommodate Rose's new bed, which was bigger and fitted with dark navy sheets. In one corner, the Doctor recognized a small engine component he'd been working on before their stop on Eridan, along with all of his tools. The ship's message was quite clear: this was to be their room.

Chaetl came barreling into the room, skidding to a halt when he saw the small collection of alien artifacts strewn across her dresser that Rose had collected over the last two years. He reached out to touch one but stopped with his hand in the air above it.

"Doctor-sai?"

The Doctor nodded at Rose, and Chaetl turned to her. "Arkytior-len?"

Rose moved forward to ruffle Chaetl's hair. "It's Mum, Chaetl. Just Mum is fine."

He looked back at the Doctor.

"Dad," Rose offered.

"I told you her culture uses different words."

Chaetl looked back at her. "Mum?"

Rose shifted the items on the dresser, moving some of the more breakable ones farther back. "These," she said, gesturing to the ones closest to them. As Chaetl picked up and examined one of the items, she walked back over to the Doctor. "Exactly how much Gallifreyan did you teach him?"

"Oh, half a dozen words or so, all in the simplest present tense."

"Is that why it sounds like words I can recognize instead of," she blushed prettily, "what you said last night?"

He felt his own face heat. "Yes. True High Gallifreyan is layered, with each word interacting with the words around it."

"Could you teach me?"

"Really? You want to learn?"

"'Course."

He hesitated before he could repeat his earlier admonishment to Chaetl that Gallifreyan took centuries to master, remembering that Rose now had centuries within which to learn it. "I'd love to. We can talk about it later."

* * *

After dinner in the galley, they spent the evening giving Chaetl an abridged tour of the TARDIS. Once they'd stopped in at all of the expected rooms, the library, gardens, and pool, the TARDIS lead them to a game room and an art room that had been pulled out of storage, according to the Doctor. By the time they were done it was getting very late, so they returned to Chaetl's room and readied him for bed.

"Good night, Mum," he said, squeezing Rose tightly around the neck as she tucked him into bed.

She brushed her hand over his head. "Good night, Chaetl."

"Good night, Dad."

The Doctor stepped around to the other side of the bed and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. "Good night, son."

Rose gasped when the lights in the room changed and the image of a field of stars was projected onto the ceiling.

"Oh, very well done, old girl," the Doctor said, looking up. He studied them for a moment. "These should look very familiar, Rose. It's the view from Earth, your time. Chaetl, I'm going to teach you all about these stars."

Rose pressed her own kiss to Chaetl's forehead. "We'll be right next door if you need something."

"All right."

Together, Rose and the Doctor walked into their room.

"You lied to Ms. Easchert and Mr. Reuel," Rose said ten minutes later as she climbed into bed beside him.

"How did I do that?"

"Gave them a false name, told them we were married. I'm sure we would be in no small trouble on Earth if we'd tried to adopt there under those same conditions."

"But we didn't adopt on Earth, Rose. And answer me truthfully, do you feel married?"

Her bare leg skimmed up his own. "I do," she replied, and her particular choice of words was not lost on either of them.

He squeezed her, a pleased sound escaping him. "Quite right, too. It doesn't really matter what the paperwork on Eridan says. I could have provided voluminous documentation to prove that we are indeed married had anyone asked, but no one at Aelgis ever did. What does matter is that Chaetl wanted to come with us, and that he will be safe and cared for. Ms. Easchert saw that. We can give him a future that would have never been possible for him on Eridan."

"But --"

After a full minute passed where she didn't continue, the Doctor propped himself up on his elbow and looked at her. "Yes?"

"Will it be a problem, us traveling with him the way we do, if we're not married?"

"I've always been a bit vague with you about the cultures of the various planets we've visited." He laughed when she glared at him. "Not every planet requires a public ceremony memorializing a marriage. On my -- on Gallifrey, marriages were a very private thing unless the individuals involved were from high-ranking houses, and even then only if they wished it. The fact is that he is our son. All three of us know this and accept it. That will stand up to scrutiny better than any other planet's proof of marriage."

"It won't stand up to my mum. We'll have to go see her."

He hummed and his arms tightened around her. "I know."

"She's not going to like this."

He shifted and ran the fingers of one hand along the curve of her hip. "You're an adult, Rose."

"Mum doesn't see it like that. Especially where you're concerned."

He grunted. It could have been an agreement. Then, "She's going to smack me."

Rose laughed. "Yeah, probably."


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, they made the decision - some more happily than others - to wait awhile before visiting Jackie to give their small family unit time to come together better, so it ended up being a week later that Rose stepped from the TARDIS into her mum's small lounge, first to brave the whirlwind that was Jackie Tyler.

The Doctor had parked the TARDIS in front of the telly again, she noted with a small smile, even though he knew it drove her mum spare. Not a good start if he wanted to stay on Jackie's good side today.

The sound of running water from the kitchen announced her mother's whereabouts.

"Mum?"

"'ello, Sweethear'," Jackie called back, humming along to a song only she could hear. "I was jus' puttin' the kettle on."

"Actually, could we talk for a second first?"

The water shut off and Jackie poked her head out of the kitchen, suddenly all serious. "What's wrong? What's 'imself gone and done this time?"

"Nothing, Mum. I just need to talk to you. Something's come up."

Jackie looked at the TARDIS then back at Rose. "Did 'e mess up the landin' again? 'as it been a year for you?"

"No."

"'as 'e regenerated?"

"No."

"My God, you're pregnant."

"No!" she shouted and then squeezed her eyes shut for a second to compose herself. "I mean, no, it's not any of that. Can you please just come and sit down?"

Jackie stepped out of the kitchen and hugged her daughter, relief pouring off of her in waves. "Somethin's differen' abou' you, though, I can tell." She touched Rose's face before dropping her pronouncement: "You're shaggin' 'im."

"Mum!"

A beat passed. Then Jackie's face hardened. "You didn't deny it." She brushed passed Rose and banged on the TARDIS door. "Oi, you may as well come out, Doctor, I've figured it out."

Jackie waited with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot until the door opened and the Doctor stepped out, Chaetl on his hip.

She gasped, eyes wide as she looked between them, all of her previous irritation having vanished. "Oh, Rose!"

"Mum, it's not what you think."

"It's not wha' I think? 'ow can it not be wha' I think? Oh, come to Nan, you precious boy. Let me get a look at you." She lifted Chaetl out of the Doctor's arms, her hands flying as she touched his hair, his face, his hands. She planted a huge kiss on his cheek. "'ow long 'as it been since you las' visited, Rose?"

Rose turned to the Doctor, unsure of the answer.

"It's been about five weeks for us, Jackie," he said.

"Five weeks? Don't be daf'. 'e's got to be five years old at leas'."

"Mum, I told you, it's not what you think. He's not ours -- well, he's ours, but we adopted him just a little over a week ago. And he's seven."

"Seven? 'e's so small." Then the penny dropped and she looked Chaetl over again from head to toe in disbelief. " _Adopted?_ "

Rose nodded. "Adopted. We adopted him together."

"But Rose, 'e looks --"

"I know, I said the same thing when we first saw him."

Jackie turned back to Chaetl who was watching her with wide eyes. "So, what's your name then?"

Rose touched her mum on the arm to stop the tide of questions she was sure was just getting started. "He doesn't talk much."

She nudged her chin in the direction of the Doctor. "Probably can't get a word in with 'imself around."

"No, it's more than that. He's telepathic and still learning. Up until he met the Doctor last week he'd never spoken at all."

The Doctor took Chaetl back from Jackie and put him down so that he could stand on his own. Almost immediately, the boy stiffened, his hands clenched at his sides as he bowed formally.

"My name is Chaetl Smith, Jackie-len-ka."

"Daniel Smith?"

"No, Mum, Chae-tl," Rose said, enunciating his name carefully.

Chaetl took a step backward and touched the Doctor's hand.

"He says Daniel is acceptable to him if that is what his len-ka wishes."

"Len-ka?" Jackie asked at the same time Rose said, "I didn't think we were going to change his name." Then she turned back to her mum. "The closest translation is 'grandmother'."

Jackie puffed up at the title. "Of course you're goin' to change 'is name. I can't exactly go around callin' my grandson by some alien name."

Rose picked up Chaetl. "He is an alien, Mum. Besides, his name is no weirder than what some celebrities come up with for their children."

* * *

The Doctor came up behind Rose and put his arm around her waist, resting his hand just below where Chaetl sat on her hip, and barely stopped himself from laughing out loud at the way Jackie's eyes bulged. She may have suspected that they had finally moved forward into an intimate relationship, but seeing him doing little things that confirmed those suspicions was something else entirely.

"He doesn't have any objection to Daniel, and since it's his name, I think that's all that really matters. In my culture it was very common for someone to have a family name and a public name."

Rose turned and he could see the question burning in her eyes. He'd opened up somewhat over the last few days about the culture on Gallifrey, most frequently in the context of how different things had been with regard to raising children, but they'd not delved much deeper than that.

"Later," he promised.

"And you two," Jackie said sharply, drawing their attention back to her, "no one around 'ere is goin' to believe you were able to adopt together without bein' married."

"I don't know why anyone needs to know that he's adopted at all."

He pressed slightly into Rose's side while pulling her tighter to him at the same time. "Everyone here knows you. They all would know if you had a child Chaetl's age. And if you did, they'd all know that he wasn't mine."

"Exactly," Jackie agreed, and wasn't that terrifying? "So --"

Rose looked up at him again. "Let's skip ahead."

The suggestion was so unexpected that for a moment the only thing he could do was blink at her.

"You said it yourself," she continued, warming to the idea, "the three of us know he's our son and that's the best proof of who he is. The resemblance is strong enough that if we skip ahead five or six years no one would know the difference. A quick trip, nothing but a blink for us, and then we're back and no one's the wiser."

It wasn't a terrible idea, as these things went. It would neatly solve the issue of Chaetl's age, and forging the necessary paperwork to satisfy Earth authorities would take no time at all.

"No one's the -- I would certainly know!" Jackie screeched.

Chaetl watched the conversation avidly. He knew that the TARDIS was special, that it was able to transverse enormous distances in an instant, but they hadn't yet explained the time travel part of the equation to him. He was a smart boy, though, and the Doctor was sure he understood the ramifications of what he was hearing.

The Doctor's mind was processing a million things a second, but first and foremost were the exact computations needed to skip ahead six years. It would be an easy enough trip, a blink for them, just like Rose had suggested, a quick demateralization and then rematerialization. Following that thought was a vague curiosity if, once they returned, anyone in the Powell Estate would notice that Rose's age hadn't kept up with her. They'd easily avoided suspicion so far, but could she get away with looking 20 if the calendar said she was supposed to be almost 27? Another thought, distant from the other two but still third over everything else, was the heartbreak playing out over Jackie's face.

With a sinking feeling he realized he was going to regret his next words.

He shook his head. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"But --"

"There's a lot of reasons why we shouldn't, but it's just generally a bad idea."

Jackie released a relieved exhale. As though she knew she was treading on thin ice by pressing the issue, she continued almost meekly. "It still doesn't solve the problem of the two of you appearin' out of thin air with a child in tow."

Rose huffed. "Fine. If we can't skip ahead and he can't be my son then he'll be yours. It's been a year since you regenerated and started coming around here with this face, if you were a normal bloke it would make sense for you to not bring him around to meet my mum until you and I got serious." She looked back at Jackie. "There. Happy?"

He watched in horror as Jackie opened her mouth again, knowing instinctively that there was no way her response was going to be a simple 'yes'.

"Just 'ow serious? Engaged serious?" Her eyes narrowed. "You're not already married, are you?"

"Only according to one orphanage on Eridan."

"Good." She sounded relieved, but her next words were an ultimatum, "Because I'd 'ate to miss my only child's weddin'."

"Come on, Mum, we don't need to go through all of that."

"Well, I 'appen to think you do. Gallivantin' all over creation, gettin' into Lord knows wha' kind of trouble, you have a child now, the leas' you can do is be a proper family."

"We are a proper family, an Earth marriage certificate isn't going to change that. Besides half the planets in the universe probably wouldn't recognize it anyway."

"Um, actually, Rose --"

She glared at him over her shoulder and he immediately shut his gob.

"No, I think I'd like to hear wha' 'e 'as to say," Jackie offered a touch gleefully.

Rose turned to face him fully, her glare sharpening. "Yes, Doctor," she bit out, "do tell."

He was caught between his -- for all intents and purposes -- wife and mother-in-law, and he'd done nothing but side with Jackie since he stepped out of the TARDIS. A slap was the least of his concerns at this point. He swallowed. "Proper Earth marriages are widely recognized until the end of time. I told you Humans spread across the universe; their customs went with them and were accepted, if not completely adopted, along with the people."

"You're saying we could get married here and then go back to Eridan, goodness knows how many thousands of years in the future, and they'd accept that?"

"Oh, absolutely!"

His first indication that he'd stepped into a trap was when Jackie folded her arms across her chest and smiled like the cat that'd gotten the cream. He was losing his touch.

"Tha's settled, then. 'ow do you feel about a week from Sunday?"

Rose blinked. "For what?"

"The weddin', of course!"

He watched Rose's face steadily redden until it was purple.

Then Chaetl tightened his arms that had been loosely draped around her neck and she muttered a faint 'sorry' as her coloring returned to normal. Good lad.

The Doctor turned to Jackie. He'd sided with her, however accidentally, long enough. "Rose and I need to discuss this ourselves." She opened her mouth and he put up a hand to indicate he wasn't finished. "We'll let you know as soon as we've made a decision."

He could tell she wasn't pleased that her plans had been derailed, but seemed slightly mollified by the fact that they were even considering it. In the future he would have to keep a better eye on her, because that had gotten out of hand surprisingly fast.

"Fine. Now, give me back my grandson," she said. "I've got seven years of spoilin' to catch up on."


	17. Chapter 17

Much to Rose's displeasure, Jackie insisted on calling Chaetl Daniel all night long even though it was only the three of them, unwilling to get into a habit that might cause her to slip up publicly later. After an impromptu dinner, Rose took Chaetl into her old room to immerse him in the culture of her own childhood, leaving the Doctor to help Jackie clean up. It was a minor punishment he gladly accepted, stripping off his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves in the hopes that doing so without complaint would put him back in Rose's good graces.

"Thank you." Jackie said when he handed her a glass to dry.

Hours had passed, but he knew she meant their earlier conversation and not his willingness to help with the cleanup. He tugged at his ear, remembering only once it was too late that he'd taken his hand out of the dishwater to do so.

"It was nothing," he said as he hunted down a small towel and dried himself.

"Not to me it isn't."

"She'd only just introduced you to your first grandchild, I couldn't agree to whisk him away from you for six years in the next breath."

Jackie hummed and put away the glass. He handed her a saucer and she took it, her voice coloring with amusement as soon as it cleared his fingers, " _Firs'_ grandchild, huh?"

He could feel his face and ears heat. "Oh. Welllll..."

"It's fine, Doctor," she laughed. "Really. Can't say as I'd have said tha' two years ago, mind, but now... you're good for her."

"And she's good for me," he replied, grateful to get away from the subject of additional grandchildren because, at the rate he'd been sticking his foot into his mouth earlier, if she pushed the issue she would probably be able to get him to commit to not only a timetable but also names.

She put away the saucer and then put her towel down on the counter, leaning on it even though there were still dishes in the sink. "You'll keep them safe, won't you?"

"There's nothing to worry about, we're not going to be getting into trouble any time soon. Chaetl is a good runner, but I'm not going to throw him to the wolves just yet."

She grabbed his sleeve and he looked down at her to see the intensity in her eyes. "Please."

"Of course, Jackie," he promised solemnly. "With my life, you have to know that."

She nodded and picked up her towel again.

After they finished the dishes, he gathered up Rose and Chaetl, and the three time travelers retreated to the TARDIS for the night. They'd decided over dinner to stay in London a few days so Jackie could get to know Chaetl, but there wasn't enough room in her small flat to sleep all of them comfortably.

The Doctor put Chaetl to bed and then walked through the adjoining door to his own room where Rose was waiting, already dressed for bed in a vest and shorts.

"I'm sorry about Mum."

"You don't have anything to be sorry about. If anyone is going to apologize, it should be me."

"I know I don't have to, but she knows how you feel about all of that domestic stuff. She has no right to try to force you into something like that."

"'All of that domestic stuff'? Really? We spent an entire evening with your mother - I washed dishes! - I've just tucked our son into bed, and I'm hoping to get _very_ domestic with you shortly."

The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, but she turned away from him, and he watched her reflection in the dresser mirror as she once again schooled her expression.

Then she met his gaze again. "What's your name? Your real name."

So that's what was bothering her. He walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, studying her reflection. "Names have power, Rose. True names on Gallifrey were a combination of prophecy and ceremony. The older the family, the higher rank they were, the greater the child was expected to become... it could get tedious. But once parents named their child, the name was buried, hidden, reserved only for the parents, the child, and the person the child would eventually marry."

"You don't have to tell me." Rose's eyes had started to shimmer with unshed tears, but she met his gaze resolutely through the reflection. "It's okay, you know. Just because Mum is going to make us --"

"No, no, no, no, no," he turned her to face him and cupped her cheeks. "That's not what I'm trying to say at all. I'll admit, the ceremony will be to appease your mother, but I'll do it because I want to. And I want you to know my name, that's part of it. You'll be my wife - you already are in every sense that matters, as far as I'm concerned --"

Rose turned in his arms, vaulted to her toes, and kissed him. He held her to him, one hand pressed against the base of her spine, the other carded into her hair.

"Are we actually going to do this?" she asked breathlessly when they parted.

He touched his lips to hers again, a gentle kiss that turned into an unhurried exploration. When he spoke, he didn't break the kiss, only muttered his request into her mouth. "Marry me, Rose."

She whimpered, her body seeming to melt into his. Several seconds passed before Rose seemed to realize that his statement had been a question that typically required a reply, but when she pulled back to answer him, he spoke first.

"Before you say anything, you said forever and I've taken you at your word, but you should know --"

"It's all right, Doctor," she interrupted, placing a hand on his chest. "We'll enjoy it while it lasts, yeah? And I won't begrudge you moving on after I'm gone. You need someone, and Chaetl will --"

He covered her lips with his to kiss away the thought that he could ever be happy with someone who wasn't her.

"It's not that. When I took the vortex out of you I didn't get it all. You're changing, Rose. It's gradual, but eventually you're going to be more Time Lord than Human."

She inhaled sharply. "How long?"

"Millenia!" he replied happily. "It's possible you may even develop the ability to regenerate."

"No, how long have you known?" Something about her tone set off warning bells in his mind even before she took a step backwards and pushed his hands away. "Was it before you decided to start a relationship with me?"

"No! Only since Eridan, I swear. I had my suspicions before then, but I thought you'd have a few extra decades, a century at most. I had the TARDIS run some projections to be sure - since she would know better than either of us - and she confirmed it."

* * *

"I need a minute, yeah?" Rose closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples.

"Of course."

After what felt like exactly sixty seconds, he shifted, and the sound of his clothes rustling was loud in the otherwise quiet room. Rose opened her eyes and glared at him.

"I'll be back."

The Doctor opened his mouth but promptly shut it. He nodded, his brow furrowed. He was worried about her, about her reaction to this revelation.

Rose walked passed him and through the door to Chaetl's room. The room was dark, the only dim light coming from the sea of stars that was being projected onto the ceiling. She sat in the overstuffed chair beside the bed, a late addition to the room that had arrived when they started reading with Chaetl.

He didn't stir, already asleep and unaware of the conversation his parents had just had. He knew that Rose and the Doctor were different species, that there were physical and mental differences between them. But how much time would pass before that was no longer the case? Would he already be the old man they'd met when she fully changed, or would it happen after they'd lost him?

She closed her eyes and turned her face away from him, swallowing thickly. It was one thing to know that she would be the first to die, leaving the Doctor and Chaetl behind; it was another thing entirely to know that their sweet blond-headed boy would be first instead. A tear rolled down her cheek.

Sometime later, she was shaken awake and opened her bleary eyes to see the Doctor crouched before her, his long fingers wrapped around her shoulder.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi." She sat up and looked around the room to get her bearings. She focused on Chaetl's bed behind him. The star projection had ended and the only light coming into the room spilled through the conjoining door.

"You all right?"

Rose looked at him. He'd changed into his pyjama trousers and a t-shirt, though it didn't look like he'd slept any since she left their room. "I kind of have to be, don't I?"

He frowned. "Not right away." He tightened his grip on her shoulder. "Come on, up you get."

She allowed him to help her stand and guide her into their bedroom. Once the door was closed between the two rooms, she moved out from under his arm and walked towards the en suite where she wiped her face clean.

When she walked back into the bedroom, the Doctor was still standing where she'd left him.

"Rose --"

"I'm all right, Doctor."

He pressed his lips together. "I don't regret telling you."

"No, of course you shouldn't. I'm glad you did. It's just a lot to take in." She smiled wanly. "I'll be fine."

She sat on the edge of her side of the bed and he copied the motion on his own side. When she laid down he did, too, though carefully so as not to touch her.

After a few seconds of lying a foot apart, Rose grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Come here, you plum."

The Doctor smiled for the first time since they'd left Jackie's and scooted towards her, sliding one arm underneath her head and wrapping his other around her waist.

"I love you," she said as she pressed her nose into the place where his neck met his shoulder. "I really will be fine."

He smiled and dropped a kiss onto her temple. Several minutes passed in comfortable silence. Then, "You never did answer my question, Rose. I asked you to marry me."

Rose snorted a laugh. "Is there anything else I should know first?"

"There are some... minor details."

She nipped lightly at his collarbone. "Figures. Nothing's ever easy with you." Deliberately, she said nothing more and once again they fell into silence.

"Roooosssssseeeeee."

"All right. Fine. I'll marry you," she sighed dramatically.

His arms tightened around her.

"But you're working out the details with Mum."


	18. Chapter 18

Things started out great. Jackie was overjoyed and not half smug that they'd agreed so quickly. It took her all of thirty seconds after the initial good news to realize that this meant she could help plan the wedding.

They picked a date a month away, because Jackie's suggestion of a week from Sunday was unrealistic unless they wanted to use the TARDIS to cheat. And the Doctor even conceded that his landings were not always the most accurate, so, since a lot of aspects of the wedding involved other people, it was best not to risk it.

The Doctor explained to them the differences between Gallifreyan and Earth weddings, particularly the Gallifreyan elements he wanted to include in the ceremony. Rose tasked him with finding suitable Earth equivalents for the ones that unsuspecting guests would find questionable. He was uncompromising about the cake, though, insisting on banana filling and Rose laughingly agreed.

But everything started to go downhill quickly when they began putting together the guest list.

"All we want is a small ceremony, Mum. Ten people, fifteen at the most. That includes us, Chaetl, you, and the officiant."

"But your cousin Rae 'ad 300 people at 'er wedding."

"You hate cousin Rae. Besides, she was divorced a year later, so she's not a shining example of anything 'wedding' or 'relationship'. And while we're on the subject, I certainly don't want her at my wedding."

"But, Rose, 'imself doesn't have anyone to invite and we need to put people on both sides of the aisle."

"No, I'm serious. Mo, Bev, Shareen, if we can find her and if she even cares to come. Nan, if you think she'll remember who I am. You're not inviting a ton of people we don't know."

"If you'd just --"

"It has to be an Earth ceremony, Mum," she snapped. "That doesn't mean it has to be on Earth. We could just as easily have this wedding at a resort on Tahiti - the planet, not the island."

Jackie's eyes widened, but she backed down, recognizing that Rose was not simply spouting an empty threat. Over the next three days every time they butted heads over something new Jackie argued, fussed, and complained, but the Doctor and Rose stood resolute. Occasionally, it would get bad, but then Rose would glare at her and Jackie would back down.

_"No, Mum, the decorations will not be pink."_

And

_"We can't use supermarket wine for the ceremony, Jackie."_

And

_"The TARDIS has plenty of dresses, I'll just use one of those."_

Rose caved on the last one in the end and let Jackie follow her into the wardrobe to pick out a dress. And even though she knew the TARDIS could have easily given her the perfect dress on the first try, she spent almost two hours trying on different styles to appease her mum.

And when the TARDIS sensed she was tired of being fused over, the dresses started getting closer and closer to what she actually wanted.

She knew she'd found the right one even before her mother's pleased gasp. The dress was cream colored, sleeveless, with a lace illusion neckline over a sweetheart bodice, a straight floor-length skirt and a small train.

"Oh, Rose, it's lovely," she gushed with tears in her eyes.

She swayed a couple of times in front of the mirror before agreeing.

The Doctor was surprisingly calm in the days leading up to the wedding. On top of the commitment looming before them, it was the longest she'd ever seen him stay in one place, and, frankly, it was making her nervous. When she finally gathered up the courage to ask him if he was all right, his confused "Why wouldn't I be?" went a long way towards soothing her.

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived. Flying in the face of weeks of planning and hours of preparation, start to finish, the ceremony lasted 31 minutes. And if anyone thought there was anything strange about the formal words Jackie spoke when she passed Rose's hand to the Doctor, the ribbon that the officiant loosely wrapped around their arms, the wine they drank, or the fact that some of their vows were whispered, no one said a word.

 

After the reception, the four of them returned to Jackie's flat. The Doctor and Rose kissed Chaetl and Jackie goodbye and promised they'd be back within the hour. Jackie was skeptical, but held Chaetl's hand as the newlyweds stepped into the TARDIS together.

The Doctor bounded to the console the instant the TARDIS doors closed behind them, the picture of his usual energetic self. "Where would you like to go?" he asked, flipping switches and pushing buttons until the time rotor began to move. "Tahiti?"

Rose grinned, catching her tongue between her teeth. "The planet or the island?"

"The planet, of course."

"There really is a planet Tahiti? I'd just picked a name off the top of my head."

"Absolutely! Five star resorts, gorgeous tropical beaches, lots of couple-y activities to do." He crossed the room and pulled her close. "Only the best for my wife."

"Well, at least this time I remember marrying you," she giggled as she held her hand up and thumbed the ring on her finger.

The Doctor kissed her and backed her up against one of the coral columns. His voice dropped seductively. "Of course, we could just stay in the vortex for as long as you like."

Rose hummed. "That does sound promising. But... Tahiti?"

He returned to the console, pushed one more button and the TARDIS landed with a slight bump. He smiled. "Tahiti."

"What, for real?"

"Of course." He offered her his arm as he walked back to her. "Our reservation awaits."

"And a reservation! Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"

"Just wait and I'll show you," he promised.

Less than a week into their stay, Rose wrapped her fingers around the Doctor's upper arm, her thumb sliding over the nearly invisible bump on the underside.

"Take it out."

"What?"

"The implant. Take it out."

His brow furrowed. "Are you sure? It's very soon."

"You're alone in your head except for Chaetl, right?"

"Well, yes, but that's no reason to rush into anything. It's been years since I've had a steady stream of voices in my head, a little longer won't hurt."

But her memory was getting clearer and clearer by the day, something she was certain was a side effect of the changes going on in her body, and the meeting they'd had with Chaetl as an old man was now as fresh as it had been on that day. He'd mentioned - deliberately, if she knew her son at all - his siblings, and since they were going to have to slow down for a few years anyway it seemed like the perfect time to have a baby.

"I'm ready," she said, holding his gaze and once more running her thumb over the implant. "You can take it out when you're ready, too."

He shivered, his eyes darkening as his pupils dilated, and he covered her lips with his own, guiding her toward the bed.

Two days later at breakfast Rose noticed a small, inconspicuous plaster underneath his left arm. Neither of them mentioned it, but the tension built between them all day until Rose literally dragged him away from their dinner somewhere between "Reservation for Smith" and "If you'll follow me."

They almost didn't make it back to the hotel room. They certainly didn't make it back with all of their clothes intact. It earned them a stern glance from the concierge the next morning, but neither of them cared.

And then, the day before they were scheduled to leave, Rose woke to find the Doctor's head resting on her abdomen.

"Rose," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "what we've done here... it's amazing."

She carded her hand through his hair, melting a bit at the look of awe on his face.

* * *

The Doctor watched his younger self stand on Chaetl's front step for several long minutes before finally turning and hurrying back to the TARDIS. As soon as the other him was out of sight, he squeezed Rose's hand and they walked together to the house.

Chaetl opened the door at his knock and smiled up at them. "Dad. I see you got my message." His eyes shifted slightly to the left. "Mum."

He stepped back to gesture them into the house, but the Doctor grabbed him around the shoulders and hugged him tightly. "How are you?"

"I'm good." He patted the Doctor on the back. "Really, Dad. I'm fine."

They separated and Chaetl turned to Rose. He smiled at her weakly, belying his words.

As the two of them embraced, they looked more like grandfather and granddaughter than mother and son. And, indeed, that was what the other residents of the quiet neighborhood had been told they were.

"I made tea," he joked.

Rose breathed a sad laugh when she pulled away, swiping at her cheek with the pads of her fingers.

The Doctor touched her on the arm. "Come on, let's get inside."

As soon as they stepped into the living room, he took out his sonic and activated a setting. All of the family portraits their younger selves had looked for and not seen shimmered into sight.

Chaetl sighed contentedly as he looked around the room, eventually focusing on Rose again. "I could make another pot, if you'd prefer?"

She tutted at him. "It's barely been ten minutes since I poured the last one. Here, I'll get the tray, you sit down."

The Doctor helped him to a chair and then sat on the sofa beside it.

"How is everyone?"

"They're good. We were at Michael and Kate's when we got your message. She's expecting again."

"Again? What's that make, three?"

Rose came into the room carrying the tea tray. She stopped in front of the Doctor and he picked up the cup he'd neglected earlier.

"Three and four, actually. It's twins."

Chaetl smiled, delighted. "Twins! How marvelous." He nodded to Rose when she approached him with the tray, took his cup and sipped at it.

She put the tray down and sat beside the Doctor on the sofa. "And what about you? You were having trouble with a painting the last time we spoke."

He grimaced. "It's done. Can't say as I'm pleased with the piece as a whole, but there is something to be said for not leaving it unfinished."

Rose looked around the room, so much more filled with signs of life than it had been when they arrived. "Did you have any thoughts about where you want it to go?" She'd seen the painting in various stages of completeness, and it was not small. There was not a lot of space on the walls for a painting that size.

"I didn't, but I think now I do. Could you take it with you? Give it to Michael's twins as a gift from their great great uncle."

Rose started to speak, but her voice came out in a croak. The Doctor closed his hand over her knee and answered for her. "Yeah. We can do that."

"Thank you." He took a deep breath and his eyes slid closed for one very long blink.

The Doctor reached out with his time senses and saw Chaetl's timeline withering. Rose covered his hand with her own and sent him a pained query. Her time senses and telepathy were still weaker than his, probably always would be, at least until she regenerated for the first time. He replied with the truth.

She whimpered and Chaetl looked up from his tea, his lips pressed into a line, a trait he'd picked up from the Doctor.

"Mum." It was an admonishment and a plea rolled into one. "This doesn't have to be sad."

"I know," she sniffled. "I know." A few errant tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and she quickly dashed them away.

"Let's just sit and talk for a while," he suggested.

Rose nodded and the Doctor's hand tightened on her knee.

"So, Michael is obviously doing well. Bring me up to speed on the others."

_Fin_


End file.
